If someone asks as to choose the most stylish runabout to drive, and what would it be... We'd say definitely Riva Aquarama or in a more realistic scenario, Riva Aquariva. Well, definitely Riva yachts. Riva Yachts Then

The Riva boatyard has a long history dating back to 1842. It was established on Lake Iseo, in Sarnico, Italy. Italian young boat builder Pietro Riva began building boats at Sarnico, a small northern Italian town on the shores of Lago d’Iseo.

By the 1930s, at which time the business was managed by Serafino Riva, Pietro’s grandson, the company was a leading manufacturer of small racing boats. He was a racer himself. At the same time, Riva began building pleasure boats. The 1950s were the years of Carlo Riva, who had been driven by the boundless passion for boats since he was a child. Riva had by then become widely regarded as the synonym of elegance, status and perfection. Selected materials of the highest quality, painstaking care for the tiniest details, unparalleled, long-standing expertise and craftsmanship were signature of Riva Yachts. Riva’s creations became the object of desire for the aristocracy. Athletes, successful businessmen and movie stars, all of them wanted to park it. In November 1962 the myth was born: it was named Riva Aquarama!

Since its presentation, at the third Milan International Boat Show, the Aquarama became the symbol of Riva par excellence, almost "a brand within the brand”. The name of the yacht drew inspiration from the Cinerama system, the American experimental wide screens technique that revolutionized film making. The slogan the yacht was launched with contained several key-words: “Sun, sea, joie de vivre!”

Other Milestones

The year 1969 was another milestone in the history of the legendary brand: it was when the fiberglass production started. First two Riva models in composite material were born. Day cruiser Bahia Mar 20’ and the cabin cruiser Sport Fisherman 25’.

Between the 1970s and the 1990s, more yachts were created, including the St. Tropez, which was produced until 1992, and the Superamerica, the first large cabin cruiser which was available on the market for more than 20 years. Riva Yacht - Now

In May 2000 the Ferretti Group took over the Riva boatyard, which could thus go back to flying the Italian flag. The Group had a strong will to relaunch Riva products and the brand by focusing on quality, design, and uniqueness.

Riva celebrated the turn of the millennium with the largest rally of period boats in history: more than one hundred yachts, representing all Riva models, paraded on Lake Iseo on 10 September 2000, led by the Aquarama carrying onboard Carlo Riva and Norberto Ferretti, bonded by friendship and mutual esteem.