C O LILJEGREN was born in 1865. he spent many of his early years in USA. It is reported that he during the years 1895-1896 even worked in Bristol under the well known yacht designer Hereshoff. He returned to Sweden in 1897 only to go back to USA in 1898, this time staying for 5-6 years.

In 1907 C O LILJEGREN designed one of the very first 6mR yachts in Sweden, ANNA. The yacht was equipped with a small cabin, something that did not exists on later designs. In 1910 C O LILJEGREN designed the 6mR yacht Agnes II. This yacht won the one Tonner Cup in Kiel, Germany and established C O LILJEGREN as a popular racing designer.
C O LILJEGREN also designed several successful square-meter yachts, and very early realized the changes that where needed to the rule (these came later in 1920 and 1925).
Among the square-meter yachts he designed it is worth mentioning Blink, a 55 square meter yacht. It had great success on the racing course in Sweden and also did some longer voyages as a cruising boat for its owner.
In 1920 C O LILJEGREN immigrated to USA permanently. It is believed that C O LILJEGREN designed about 300 yachts in all. Many of them where either more experimental or custom made for clients, like the yacht MEJT II, designed with a clipper bow on its owners request, this made the design about 20 years after its time.
C O LILJEGREN died in 1944.