GILFLITE Boats was established in 1968 by brothers David and Kevin Gill, who were at the forefront of marine innovation, crafting record-breaking speedboats and winning major races on the Australian Powerboat Racing circuit. David Gill in particular, developed the first stable rear-drive runabout, which dominated Australian racing. By 1968, this boat was the first displacement hull in Australia of it’s type to surpass 100 mph un-supercharged.
As their business grew, they transitioned from timber to fibreglass hulls, pioneering the industry with innovative runabouts, leading the ski boat market with both inboard and outboard designs. Their legacy was built on invention—from the world’s first “Soft Clutch” system to pioneering multi-compound perspex windscreens and the award-winning Pulse Ski Training Bar. By the mid-80s, their finely engineered runabouts set benchmarks globally.
Beyond boating, GILFLITE expanded into automotive design with the Toolsafe service bodies. Today, GILFLITE is proudly Australian-owned, continuing to innovate in design and production across diverse industries.