riva yacht aquarama

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6 The most classic Riva launches of all time

The roots of classic Riva yachts go right back to 1842, when a young Pietro Riva began repairing and building yachts on Lake Iseo in northern Italy. But it was his great-grandson, the legendary Carlo Riva , who had the vision to create a range of wooden-hulled speedboats that were to become the epitome of the jet-set era of the 1950s and 1960s.

Carlo Riva was inspired by the products of the American yacht builder Chris-Craft, for which he was an agent, and he used Chris-Craft and Chrysler engines in his classic Riva yachts. We trace the history of the most popular classic Rivas, and round up a few of the most memorable Rivas of all time…

The first twin-engine classic range Riva yacht was the Tritone, in build from 1950-1966. While 221 of the standard Tritone version were delivered, far fewer of the far more desired Super Tritone came into being, with only 21 hitting the water. At nearly eight metres LOA, the Super Tritone was a long, powerful version of Riva’s Tritone, its biggest thus far. The Super Tritone is valued at €200,000-€300,000.

Tritone Special

Riva owners may commonly have been rich and famous, but it was rare to get special treatment; however, Carlo Riva broke his rule in the case of the Como industrialist, champion sailor and Riva patron, Achille Roncoroni. In 1960, Roncoroni persuaded the company to build him a one-off version of the Tritone Special model classic Riva yacht. He wanted the best, fastest and largest Riva ever. What he got was an 8.3 metre wood-clad wonder powered by two high-performance, marinised Cadillac Eldorado V8 engines, each producing 325hp to push the boat to a stunning 60mph. The unique interior had red, white and blue front seats that could be laid flat to let occupants sunbathe away from prying eyes. The dashboard featured sparkling, chrome bezel instruments befitting the Cadillac-powered Special.

Roncoroni used the boat,  Ribot III , mostly on Como, and kept her until 1970 before selling her on to the second owner who has owned this classic Riva ever since. And, true to his word, Carlo Riva ensured  Ribot III  remained a one-off, even turning down a request for a similar craft from King Hussein of Jordan.

The original Riva Aquarama line was delivered from 1962 to 1972. This included first classic Riva Aquarama yacht, of which 288 were sold, and the Super Aquarama, with 203 splashing. The Aquarama Special then emerged, running from 1972 to 1996 with 278 boats built.

The most expensive classic Riva ever built was probably an Aquarama, which crossed the block at Mecum Auctions in Kissimmee, Florida, back in 2011, for an impressive $975,000. Bidders from around the world competed to own the boat, which was considered extra special, because it was the last of the original, wooden-hulled Rivas to be sold to the public. Hull No 774 was completed in 1996 and delivered new to the founding family of the giant Sony Corporation on 23 December 1998.

Surely the ultimate Christmas present, it was one of six “End of the Era” commemorative editions produced. Its owners, however, clocked up fewer than 20 hours aboard her in 12 years, with their most ambitious voyage being a return trip across Lake Garda for lunch.

The Riva Junior was the late 1960s replacement for the basic Riva Florida. At 5.6 metres, the classic Riva yacht model Junior found fame as the choice of the celebrity set such as Brigitte Bardot and Peter Sellers. The Riva Junior is valued at €30,000-€40,000.

Despite the move into fibreglass — and now superyacht-size yachts even — Riva’s current owner, the Ferretti Group, is still passionate about preserving the essence of classic Riva yachts in its new runabouts. In 2001, a year after Ferretti Group purchased Riva, the Aquariva was launched. This 11-metre yacht was specifically designed as a successor to the inimitable Aquarama. Though built in GRP, her sweet exterior lines and wood detail harken back to the days of a bygone era when the first classic Rivas plied the waters.

Launched in June 2016, the Rivamare is the newest addition to the Riva collection. Despite her effortlessly classic styling, the 11.88 metre Rivamare is packed with modern technology, such as underwater lighting, air conditioning, an electro-hydraulic bimini shade and a Seakeeper NG5 stabiliser.

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The elegant mahogany design was an instant hit among CEOs, royalty and movie stars when it launched in 1962.

When Carlo Riva performed a Franken-boat surgery on one of his Tritone models in 1962, he had no idea that the gleaming new mahogany design would become the world’s most beloved powerboat. At the time, he was intent on reinventing the family brand,  Riva , started by his great-grandfather Pietro in 1842 on Lake Iseo in Sarnico, Italy. Over the years, the yard had introduced many successful designs but needed a forward-looking model that reflected the glamour that was consuming postwar Italy. 

Carlo originally wanted to call the new boat the Admiral but settled on a more futuristic name, Aquarama, after the trendy panoramic film technique Cinerama, which utilized three adjoining screens. The boat’s beautiful mahogany hull, with its sweeping, one-piece windshield and center sun pad, became a status symbol almost immediately after the Aquarama launched in 1962—no doubt helped by the fact that the boat was not only sexy but also fast and functional, powered by 185 hp  Chris-Craft  engines and able to hit a top speed of 45 mph. 

The first Aquaramas were an instant hit among CEOs, royalty and movie stars, even priced as much as a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, the most expensive car in Italy at the time. Sophia Loren purchased hull number three, and soon Rex Harrison, King Hussein of Jordan and Brigitte Bardot and her third husband, the German baron and playboy Gunther Sachs, were all owners as well. By 1965, the Riva Aquarama was considered the world’s most desirable motorboat. 

Its unmistakable shape became a centerpiece of Monaco’s harbor. “My father [Prince Rainier III] saw Mr. Riva as quite a businessman and engineer,” says Prince Albert II of Monaco. “And the Aquarama, of course, became the mythical symbol of the Riva adventure. It was so visible in Monaco [that] it became closely linked with our maritime presence.” The  Monaco Yacht Club  even created the Riva Aquarama Lounge, the only room named after a boat in the entire Lord Norman Foster–designed facility. 

And it wasn’t just movie stars and royalty who gave the Aquarama its cachet. Carlo had accented the boat with references to the most expensive luxury cars of the day, including custom stainless-steel gauges, the steering wheel from the 1958 Chrysler 300, wicker tables that folded down behind the front seats and a nifty, spring-operated Bimini that shielded the cockpit from excessive sun and rain. 

Fittingly, the Aquarama has always drawn more comparisons to couture and high culture than other machines. Carlo referred to the chrome fittings—including the bowsprit, nicknamed the crocodile’s grin for its distinctive shape—as the boat’s “jewelry,” while Augusto Savoldi, who began his apprenticeship at age 16 on the first Aquarama, recalls the master carpenters treating the original richly grained Honduran Cedar console like “a piece of art.” Carlo’s daughter Lia, meanwhile, remembers her father saying the engines’ melodic rumbling was “not noise; it’s music.” Perhaps the best barometer of the Aquarama’s iconic status is its consistently high resale value. Prices for historically correct restorations, depending on model and series, range between $400,000 and $800,000, with the record price, for the second-to-last-built Aquarama Special, standing at $1.15 million—still, perhaps, a small price to pay for history’s purest distillation of la dolce vita. 

• Riva Aquarama

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How the Riva Aquarama Became the World’s Most Iconic Powerboat

The elegant mahogany design was an instant hit among ceos, royalty and movie stars when it launched in 1962., michael verdon, michael verdon's most recent stories.

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Carlo originally wanted to call the new boat the Admiral but settled on a more futuristic name, Aquarama, after the trendy panoramic film technique Cinerama, which utilized three adjoining screens. The boat’s beautiful mahogany hull, with its sweeping, one-piece windshield and center sun pad, became a status symbol almost immediately after the Aquarama launched in 1962—no doubt helped by the fact that the boat was not only sexy but also fast and functional, powered by 185 hp Chris-Craft engines and able to hit a top speed of 45 mph. 

The first Aquaramas were an instant hit among CEOs, royalty and movie stars, even priced as much as a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud , the most expensive car in Italy at the time. Sophia Loren purchased hull number three, and soon Rex Harrison, King Hussein of Jordan and Brigitte Bardot and her third husband, the German baron and playboy Gunther Sachs, were all owners as well. By 1965, the Riva Aquarama was considered the world’s most desirable motorboat. 

Its unmistakable shape became a centerpiece of Monaco ’s harbor. “My father [Prince Rainier III] saw Mr. Riva as quite a businessman and engineer,” says Prince Albert II of Monaco. “And the Aquarama, of course, became the mythical symbol of the Riva adventure. It was so visible in Monaco [that] it became closely linked with our maritime presence.” The Monaco Yacht Club even created the Riva Aquarama Lounge, the only room named after a boat in the entire Lord Norman Foster–designed facility. 

Fittingly, the Aquarama has always drawn more comparisons to couture and high culture than other machines. Carlo referred to the chrome fittings—including the bowsprit, nicknamed the crocodile’s grin for its distinctive shape—as the boat’s “jewelry,” while Augusto Savoldi, who began his apprenticeship at age 16 on the first Aquarama, recalls the master carpenters treating the original richly grained Honduran Cedar console like “a piece of art.” Carlo’s daughter Lia, meanwhile, remembers her father saying the engines’ melodic rumbling was “not noise; it’s music.” Perhaps the best barometer of the Aquarama’s iconic status is its consistently high resale value. Prices for historically correct restorations, depending on model and series, range between $400,000 and $800,000, with the record price, for the second-to-last-built Aquarama Special, standing at $1.15 million—still, perhaps, a small price to pay for history’s purest distillation of la dolce vita. 

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The evolution of a legend

AQUARAMA: A LEGEND FOR 60 YEARS

History, anecdotes and curiosities about the most beautiful and celebrated boat of all time.

Still today, in films, commercials and social media, when the aim is to communicate an idea of navigation that fully expresses the style and glamour of "Made in Italy", the boat portrayed is the Aquarama. Not only the symbol of an unrepeatable period in the boating world, but also a masterpiece of inventiveness and fine craftsmanship, a vision of mahogany and aquamarine, with sleek lines and a legendary grandeur. The first Aquarama was test driven by Gianni Agnelli in August 1962, in Monte Carlo. Noticing the Turin businessman's daring driving style, Carlo Riva challenged him by saying: "If you manage to capsize her, she's yours". But in the end he didn't have to give him the boat because it didn't capsize. The first Aquarama, although still a prototype, already had the technical characteristics, stability and safety that form the core of the boat's technical prowess, together with styling that was revolutionary for the time. In November 1962, the production model of the "Aquarama" was officially presented at the Third Milan International Boat Show, and a legend was born. The name derives from American Cineramas, because just as cinema-goers were immersed in a total sensory experience by this technology, the passengers sitting in the cockpit with the roof open felt as though they were in a "Cinerama of the sea".

Some of the distinctive features of the legend are the bow cap, the stern passage that makes it easier to climb out of the water, and the separate front seats, which offer greater mobility and comfort in the cockpit. The varnished mahogany hull expresses the craftsmanship and attention to detail typical of Cantiere Riva's boats. The influence of the automotive sector and Carlo Riva's passion for engines is reflected in the twin 185 hp Chris Craft engines - usually used for cars - and the Chrysler steering wheel. Another example of meticulous care is the addition of salt water-resistant cushions, essential in a marine environment. The 1962 model had a length of 8.02 metres, could accommodate up to eight people including the driver, and was fitted with two bunks. Over the years, it was upgraded on several occasions. The subsequent Aquaramas were 8.25 metres long and fitted with two 220 hp Riva 8V engines.

A few years later, the Super version was introduced, with a length of 8.45 metres and engines rated 320 hp each. Aquarama Super's performance moved up to the superlative category, with a top speed of almost 90 km/h. In 1971, architect Giorgio Barilani introduced a modification to the boat's transom, adding a corridor that made it easier to climb back up the swim ladder out of the water. This new version, christened Aquarama Special, was a full 8.75 metres in length. The boat's two engines were also increased in power to 350 hp each, with 6 hours of autonomy allowing longer cruises to be undertaken. Taken out of production in 1996, Aquarama was the company's crowning achievement, with a total of 765 boats built. The attention to detail, the chrome-plating and the excellent durability made it Riva's most popular and famous powerboat. A brand within the brand.

Ferretti S.p.A.

Tax code and VAT no. 04485970968 Registered Office Via Irma Bandiera, 62 – 47841 Cattolica (RN) Italy REA no. RN 296608 - Companies Register no. 04485970968 Share capital € 338.482.654,00 fully paid-up PEC: [email protected]

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Search our catalog, go direct, enter a boat reference, riva aquarama, very well restored 100% orig, € 425,000.00 (approx £358,935).

• Boat REF#  ·  244166
• Length  ·  8.25m
• Year  ·  1965
• Construction  ·  Wood
• Underwater profile  ·  Planing
• Sleeping berths  ·  2
• Engine  ·  2 x gasoline 220hp, Riva Crusader v8 (2017)
• Lying  ·  Cote d´azur - French Riviera - France

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Extra Details

Electrical Systems

12 volt battery,

Construction

Accommodation

Electric windlass

Nav Equipment

Safety Equipment

1 bilge pumps (0 manual / 1 electric)

Broker's Comments

A Riva Aquarama incredibly restored.. All original... She hasn't been to the water since her restauration in middle 2017! A must see!

Original for Riva VDO engines instruments. Compass. Siren, anchor roller, original mahogany ladder, toilet, canvas boat cover, wooden cradle, bilge pump, switch battery, flag pole, waterskiing pole, shower. Cockpit with passengers sofa at the aft, to starboard passenger seat, left the driver's seat stand up, aft sun deck, at the bow cabin with two bunks and a toilet.

These boat details are subject to contract. Note: Offers on the asking price may be considered.

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Riva Aquarama

• 5 Passengers

General information

Description.

• Swimming ladder
• Electric windlass
• Bow thruster
• Outboard motor
• Automatic pilot
• Deck shower
• 220V socket
• Flippers, masks and snorkels
• Scuba diving equipment
• Water skis and accessories provided
• Wakeboard and accessories provided
• Tow buoy and accessories provided
• Refrigerator
• Oven/cooker
• Dining table
• Bow sundeck
• Aft sundeck
• Fishing gear

Riva Destinations

Riva destinations:

Experience the elegance and class of a yachting legend in the most stylish locations..

Each Riva Lounge, Privée and Deck is an instantly recognisable place, and not only for yachting connoisseurs. The sheer class that these venues exude has always been the hallmark of Riva’s design heritage.

The emblematic 1950s Dolce Vita style and the exquisite details from the sparkling chrome to the steel and lacquered mahogany captivate the eye, evoking the glamour and the iconic yachts of the world’s most famous boatyard. All the personalised furnishings, like the Aquariva lamp or the Aquarama tables and chairs, are imbued with the spirit of the craft. So you can run your fingertips over the fine woods and materials that Riva has used for nearly two centuries to create the yachts that celebrities and stars have long sought and adored. And each Riva Lounge, Privée and Deck has a corner dedicated to the Riva Brand Experience collection, also available for purchase at

The Riva Destination concept – to make the magic of the Riva legend come alive beyond the nautical arena – was crowned the winning Retail Marketing Initiative at the Boat Builder Awards 2019.

The Riva Lounge at Yacht Club de Monaco

Montecarlo - principality of monaco.

The exclusive Riva Aquarama lounge graces the top floor of Sir Norman Foster’s masterly new Monaco Yacht Club. Only Riva has the honour of a location within the world’s most illustrious yacht club. A favoured haunt for the international jet set, the Riva Aquarama lounge is also a much-coveted berth during the Formula 1 GP.

The Riva Lounge at the Ikador Luxury Boutique Hotel & Spa

Opatija - croazia.

Opatija is a destination with a hypnotically beautiful setting by a crystalline sea, and the Riva Lounge is an elegant setting to relax in there with a long drink and a breathtaking view. The Ikador Hotel also offers an exclusive private boat service in a fabulous Aquariva Super.

The Riva Lounge at the Riva shipyard

Sarnico - italy.

A spellbinding lounge in a place steeped in legend and charm: the historic Sarnico yard on Lake Iseo. This is where Riva’s epic story began back in 1842, and this is where you can admire Carlo Riva’s futuristic office – “The Bridge” – thrusting out over the water like a majestic ship.

The Riva Lounge at Gritti Palace

Venice - italy.

The magnificent Riva Lounge on the terrace of the Gritti Palace in Venice is renowned for its superb hospitality. The Riva décor creates an enchanting atmosphere to match the breathtaking view over the Grand Canal to Santa Maria della Salute basilica. The marvellous “Il Doge” – the beautiful Aquariva Super moored outside – is at guests’ disposal to add a supremely exclusive finishing touch to the Riva Brand Experience in Venice.

Riva Privée Daní Maison

Ischia - italy.

Set in the exotic atmosphere of a garden scattered with unique artworks and the typical symbols of the local culture, this Riva Privée is a dreamy destination. Yachting tradition at its most authentic, meticulous attention to detail, and the timeless elegance of Riva style are the perfect fit for the culinary excellence and peerless hospitality of Daní Maison, the time-honoured Ischian family home of Chef Di Costanzo transformed into a place to meet and socialise characterised by the welcoming spirit for which the Naples area is famous.

The Riva Privée at Splash Bistrot

Paris - france.

An unmissable port of call for those seeking an elite luxury experience in one of the world’s most romantic cities. The bohemian allure suffusing the Île de France is a perfect match for Riva’s heritage and pedigree in a stunningly original Riva Brand Experience. An Aquariva Super is on hand for guests to ease up the Seine to discover the French capital from one very special viewpoint.

Oscar Leonessa

Naples - italy.

The Riva Café in Naples is the brand’s first establishment under this name. Created in partnership with Oscar Leonessa’s Caffettuccio, it is sure to delight with its décor, its elegant class and its sprinkling of Riva style, the emblem of an incomparable heritage. Here you can savour one of the best cups of coffee in town accompanied by some heavenly pastries or explore a tempting selection of superior whiskies and wines. This is a place made for unforgettable moments.

Riva Private Deck Yacht Club Eriolario, Matteri

Como - italy.

The Eriolario Yacht Club has always been the go-to destination for Riva owners on Lake Como. That’s because it’s an exclusive landing point immersed in verdant nature where boats meet their natural element: water. The Riva Private Deck at the Eriolario Yacht Club aims to bring together Riva owners and enthusiasts by creating a meeting place on one of the world’s most beautiful lakes, where Riva boats can be hired to enjoy the Riva Yacht. Experience to the full.

Riva Privée at the Jeddah Yacht Club

Jeddah - saudi arabia.

A spectacular view out over crystal clear waters, in the background a dream location that attracts the international jet set and, all around, unmistakable design elements in mahogany and mirror-polished steel with aquamarine detailing. Is it a Riva? It’s a Riva Destination.

Riva Lounge Puerto Banús

Marbella - spain.

The new Riva Lounge in Puerto Banús will welcome guests with its signature interior decor inspired by the distinctive details featured on the brand’s legendary boats: a spacious interior dining area, complete with a counter made from ribbed mahogany like the decks on Riva boats and tables with iconic Aquarama chairs. Guests sitting on the new Riva collection couches can admire the view of a fabulous Aquariva, a Riva 66’ Ribelle and a Riva 82' Diva, the latest creation in the flybridge range, all available for charter as well as for magical cocktail parties and dinners aboard.

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Ferretti S.p.A.

Tax code and VAT no. 04485970968 Registered Office Via Irma Bandiera, 62 – 47841 Cattolica (RN) Italy REA no. RN 296608 - Companies Register no. 04485970968 Share capital € 338.482.654,00 fully paid-up PEC: [email protected]

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