This just in via a press release from Liberty Associates, the owner of Baja Marine, Donzi Marine, Fountain Powerboats and Pro-Line Boats, all of which are now under one roof in Washington, N.C.: Liberty plans to relaunch Baja a “stand-alone” brand.

“We have given Baja a very thorough evaluation, ” said John Walker, the vice presdient of and chief operating officer of Liberty Associates who also will take on the role of Baja Marine president.

“The brand has some of the most loyal customers in all of high- performance boating, and many of them, along with several very successful past Baja dealers, have given us some tremendous feedback.

“We will reintroduce Baja with a very new and fresh model lineup, while retaining the key attributes and features that made this company so popular and successful for so many years,” Walker added.

I am not exactly sure what this means in terms of timelines for restarting Baja production and a new look for the line, but I do view the announcement with guarded optimism. Baja’s performance boats have long served as affordable entry-level models for first-time buyers who might be able to afford more-expensive custom boats but are not ready for that kind of financial commitment. They’ve also proven to be a good long-term choice for buyers who don’t have the means for more-expensive offerings.

Getting Baja back on its feet, so to speak, indicates that the decision-makers at Liberty Associates believe the economy is rebounding (or will rebound in the near future) enough to suppport it.

I dearly hope they’re right.