Riva: Classic Italian Speedboats

This volume presents the most important and beautiful pieces of the Riva collection, the most famous Italian brand of speedboat.

In 1842, Pietro Riva, a skilled caulker, settled in Sarnico on Lake Iseo. This was the start of the Riva adventure. First he built fishing boats, then steamboats, followed by his first speedboats and pleasure boats. The peak of his company's success came in the 1950s and 1960s, when the Riva boatyards were producing vessels in prestige mahogany, which have since become sought-after collector's pieces. It was an era of timeless glamour, when clients included such film stars as Sophia Loren, Peter Sellers, Brigitte Bardot, and Jean-Paul Belmondo. Since then, the company has maintained its reputation for attention to detail, quality of materials, and engineering skill.

This book explores Riva's fascinating history and its most celebrated boats, such as the latest model, the RIVAMARE, which combines classic mahogany wood with modern high-tech fiberglass materials--a perfect example of the company's tradition of combining heritage with innovation. These have always been the winning elements of Riva's boats, timeless objects of desire whose high-profile collectors include the likes of George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Echoing the luxurious atmosphere of Riva's boats, the Riva Lounges-- outdoor bars located in such places as the Gritti Palace in Venice and the recently-opened Miami location--are also represented.

This is the story of over one hundred and sixty years of passion, dreams, and achievements from the world's oldest and most long-lived boatyard.