The Frauscher History

The history of the Austrian shipyard Frauscher began in 1927 with Engelbert Frauscher, who founded a small boatbuilding business in Vienna. In the beginning, the shipyard built small wooden sailing yachts. But in the 1940’s the first racing motorboat came out of the company’s gates and since then this specialisation of the shipyard has been the main one.  In 1945 the shipyard moved to Lake Traunsee in Gmünden, where 10 years later it produced not only ordinary boats but also very early electric models. 

In 1971, Engelbert’s sons, Hans and Ernst Frauscher, introduced fiberglass boats. Following a ban on combustion engine motorboats on Traunsee, the company focused on lightweight electric boats made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic. From 1979, Frauscher produced the H-Boat after acquiring the license from the Finnish Sailing Association. with Hans Frauscher becoming the 1982 H-Boat world champion, and Stefan Frauscher winning the 2002 championships.

In 1988, Frauscher’s headquarters moved to the Weyer sailing harbor in Gmunden and the first decade of the new century saw an increase in experimentation for the shipyard, with the third generation of the Frauscher family now managing the company. This experimentation brought rewards for the company. In 2008, Frauscher’s collaboration with Steyr Motors resulted in the creation of the world’s first serial hybrid engine for yachts and boats and in 2010 the Frauscher 717 GT won the “Powerboat of the Year” award. Expanding into the luxury segment, Frauscher built a shipyard in Ohlsdorf and opened a sales location in Port Adriano, Mallorca.

Frauscher Model Range

Frauscher produces motor boats in two main categories, a series of modern runabouts and their center cockpit, open bow equivalents called the Air series. Both series are captained by the flagship Frauscher 1414 Demon model which is an ultra modern 13.9 meter runabout which can reach 41 knots.

In addition to its motorboats, Frauscher is well known for its all electric boats which are currently represented by five models between 6.1 and 8.3 meters in length.

The shipyard also fulfils special orders for the production of some boats from past lines. These include sailing, electric and diesel yachts, as well as yachts in the special series like the superfast exclusive Lido Dino Feltrinelli series.

Production Facilities

The shipyard has two production sites, one in Gmunden and, since 2012 one in Ohlsdorf. The Ohlsdorf factory is twice as large as the old yard at 3000 m2 and offers the possibility of building larger yachts and significantly increasing the number of units built per year. Frauscher can currently build up to 100 boats per year at these two shipyards. Approximately 40% of the company’s turnover is generated by the sale of yachts with electric engines, 55% by diesel engines and 5% by sailing boats. In this time of automation, it is interesting to note that all Frauscher boats are still handmade. The assembly of each particular boat is entrusted to specific craftsmen who are responsible for all stages of the work and leave a name plate on the boat on completion reading something like “made with love by Hans and Thomas“.

Frauscher Boat Sales

A motor yacht is a significant investment and finding the right partner when looking to buy is crucial to avoid costly mistakes. The itBoat team of yacht experts has years of experience in the yachting industry and can help you find the perfect Frauscher model that fits your needs and budget. We can provide you with professional advice, guidance and support from an initial consultation through to the final delivery of your dream yacht. We invite you to contact us today for a no obligation chat to learn more.