RIVA AQUARAMA

The 19th Century

The Riva Aquarama was a luxury wooden runabout built by Italian yacht builder Riva. Production of it and its derivatives the Lungo, Super, and Special ran from 1962 until 1996. The hull was based on the Riva Tritone, an earlier model speedboat by Riva, which in turn was inspired by the American mahogany Chris-Craft runabouts. The boat’s speed, beauty, and craftsmanship earned it praise as the Ferrari of the boat world. The company was founded by Pietro Riva in 1842, and run by Carlo Riva through its 1969 sale to the American Whittaker Corporation.

The most famous of Carlo Riva’s designs, the Aquarama has become over the decades a nautical legend. Its evocative name, derived in part from the widescreen Cinerama movie format popular in the early 1960s, echoed in its sweeping wrap-around windshield, conjures images from another time.

The Riva Aquarama’s 8.02 – 8.78 metre hull was sheathed in mahogany and varnished to accentuate the beauty of its natural wood grain. All versions were twin engined, with top speeds of 45/50 knots depending on engine choice. Power varied from 185 hp to 400 hp per engine, delivered by Riva ‘tuned’ Cadillac and Chrysler models, among others.

On top of the engine compartment was a cushioned sundeck. The boats also carried a convertible roof which retracted behind the rear seat and cockpit. A swim ladder was often mounted in the stern.

Highlights about this Riva Aquarama model ship:

• This model ship is entirely handmade by skilled and experienced craftsmen, using the plank on frame construction method
• Seats are crafted of genuine leather and come in your choice of colors above
• Intricate details on this speedboat model are sculpted of highly polished metal
• Use high-quality wood such as rosewood, ebony, black wood, mahogany wood…. all will go through processing step and pre-construction inspection to ensure that it is not bent or cracked under any climatic conditions.
• This Riva Aquarama model ships is built on scale by the original plan, then drawn up and painted by actual photographs to ensure the best accuracy.