"Rolls-Royce of the Sea", "Stradivarius of Boating" are just some of the phrases that have been used to describe the Riva Aquarama.

The Riva Aquarama will forever be worshiped. In 1962, Carlo Riva introduced the Aquarama series of new fast runabouts. This powerfull bi-motor has so much charm and elegance that she is compared with Rolls-Royce and Ferrari. Riva redesigned his top-selling Tritone into the Lipicar, a boat perfectly adapted for family water sports.

Fortunately, Riva's RR and export manager Gerard Kouwenhoven suggested the name Aquarama instead.The Jet-Set quickly made the boat Europe's status synmbol. Power options were a pair of 185-hp Chris-Craft engines or 220-hp Riva V8s.

Later the boat size increased as 8.25 meters and was powered by 2 -220 horse power engines.The boat could entertain eight persons at a 75km/h speed.

In 1966, The firm presented the Super version that is 8.45 m long because of its bigger tankers necessary for to the new 320 horse power engines. Its performance became exceptional, the Super Aquarama speed is close to 90km/h.

The architect Giorgio Barilaini , who is in charge of the yard projects since 1957, re-designed the stern: he created a strainer (passage) that make the access to the swiming ladder easier. This new version was 8.75 long and named Aquarama Special.

With the Special version, Aquarama signed its best model, who is still the floret of the shipbuilding yard. 767 units of this graceful mahogany powerboat have been build till today. Had you been clever enough to buy one in 1963, it would have cost $ 17,800. When the last Aquarama Special rolled out in 1996 the price was $ 387,000.

Without question - Riva of Italy - which traces its beginings to a mid-19th century carpenter shop was a world leader in producing elegant, luxury wooden runabouts.