In the boating world, the very name “Riva” is synonymous with prestige and unmatched design. Owned by numerous members of the jet-set, including actors, singers, and businesspeople, Riva yachts symbolize style, dedication and good taste. It is highly unlikely to know a thing or two about boating, and not be familiar with Riva – because it’s the most famous brand of luxury yachts in the world.

Ever since the foundation of the company in the 1840s, Riva boats were known for being well made. Decade after decade, the Riva brand developed and grew more and more.

And around the mid-twentieth century, it went into the stratosphere. From that point on, Riva boats started being known as “the Rolls Royces of the boating world”. But the major reason for this was the introduction of their remarkable series of yachts.

The man behind the design

It would be impossible to talk about the history of Riva yachts without mentioning the name of Carlo Riva. In the early 1950s, it was Carlo Riva who oversaw the creation of a well-known series of yachts, including Florida, in 1952, followed by Triton and Ariston in 1953.

Carlo Riva had a reputation of being the ultimate perfectionist, and there is plenty of proof to support this claim. He didn’t follow the development of these boats from afar, leaving most of the work to his employees. He did much more than that.

Actually, Carlo was the man in charge of designing every single section of a yacht, from the interior upholstery, all down to the last screw. As the saying goes, he really put his heart into it – and the results were amazing.

Riva models from the early 50s caught the attention of the whole boating industry, for their elegance and design. Riva became a household name for well-made, luxury yachts. But there was still more to come, just a few years down the line.

The game-changing model

Although Riva experienced a resurgence in the 1950s, it was a decade later when the company saw tremendous success with a new yacht model. Again, the one in charge of development was Carlo Riva.

In 1962, he and his team created a luxury yacht that became just as iconic as the brand Riva itself. Inspired by the then popular widescreen format, Cinerama, the yacht was named – Aquarama. For many, it is Carlo Riva’s masterpiece and the ultimate Riva luxury yacht to date. 

Carlo secured his name as a perfectionist while working on the 1950s models. But with Aquarama, he wanted to outdo all of his past achievements. The goal was to make the perfect luxury boat.

The Aquarama, with its unique Italian style, was built using mahogany of the finest quality, and it was varnished as many as 12 times. It took over 3,000 hours to create this model, from start to finish.

Right upon its launch, in 1962, it was deemed a classic luxury yacht. For the next three and a half decades, the Aquarama was at the top of the yachting world. It was manufactured until 1996 and, in total, 769 of these  yachts were built.

Never out of fashion

With the coming of the 21st century, the popularity of Riva yachts hasn’t dwindled. On the contrary – they are still as sought after as ever. All Riva models can be split into two groups: open boats and super yachts, such as the Riva Mythos (and so many other luxury yachts).

What sets Riva yachts apart from the rest is their unique combination of timeless design, attention to detail and exquisite built. For anyone seeking the perfect yacht, Riva makes the perfect choice.