CONTSHIP GROUP.

Mitchell pasted the normal panel below his funnel drawing, leaving unclear whether it was intended to define the drawing’s appearance.

Contship, combining “container” and “shipping”, was formed by Angelo Ravano in 1968 or October 1969 according to different accounts; the family’s shipowning tradition is traced to 1838. Agency activity began in Milan in 1970, and La Spezia terminal operations are dated to 1970 or 1971. Conventional operations also took place at Casablanca. Expansion brought Spanish and northern European companies, followed by a UK company at Felixstowe in 1977. Group headquarters moved to Britain from 1 January 1979. Contship Gulf Line began in 1978; a holding company consolidated the shipping interests in 1980. Line management moved to Ipswich in 1982, then to the CP Ships headquarters at Gatwick in 2003.

The services included Eagle Container Line from 1982, Euroasia from 1985, Ocean Star from 1986 and Medipas between the Mediterranean and India/Pakistan from 1987. Contship and Costa formed Italica Marittima Agenzia in 1985, combining their Italian agency interests. Costa Containerlines was acquired in 1986; its later disposal is described by the company website as withdrawal from the trade in 1990. Loughran describes Euroasia as a venture with Neptune Orient Lines, but Rosanoski notes that another account reports the end of a joint service in 1985 without confirming NOL’s participation in the new operation.

Switzerland, Cadenazzo at formation; later UK, Felixstowe and Gatwick.