No, we are not kidding. To have Ferrari make a boat, and then for it to cost only $70,000 is shocking, and even more so because it’s all true. And while it was made in 1990, the depreciation over these 30 years seems to have been immense.
We all know Ferrari for its gorgeous cars, including the famous Testarossa. The Testarossa, which means redhead in Italian, was named so to pay homage to the 1957 World Sportscar Championship winner, the 250 Testa Rossa sports racing car. And to pay homage to the Ferrari Testarossa, Enzo Ferrari decided to dip his feet in the waters and launch the Riva Ferrari 32, which looked like a Testarossa on the water.
Of course, Ferrari is not the only automaker to have gotten out of the road and into the water. Over the years many luxury carmakers have delved into water super-crafts, each vying for luxury on the water with various sizes and features. But nothing comes close to this nifty little beauty.
So here's more about the Riva Ferrari 32 and how it went from a one-time wonder to something that cost just $70,000 in an auction.
A Bit About Riva & Ferrari
Ferrari’s boat did not come by Ferrari alone, it was a collaboration between Riva and Ferrari. While Enzo Ferrari is known for not just car-making but also car racing, Riva comes from Pietro Riva, a man known for his boat-building expertise.
The Riva story starts with the Riva boatyard, which came to fruition in 1842 on Lake Iseo in Sarnic, Italy after a devastating storm had damaged most of the fishermen's boats of the time. Pietro Riva stepped in for repairs and since then, he became the most likable guy in town. From then, to now, Riva has grown into one of the world’s foremost luxury boat builders. The Riva Aquarama, for example, is known as one of the greatest wooden powerboats in the world.
Both Riva and Ferrari are Italian in their founding fathers, each known for their superior craftsmanship and eye for detail, the only difference being that Riva excels on the water and Ferrari, is the undisputed king of the road.
Presenting: The 1990 Riva Ferrari 32
The boat came to be because Enzo Ferrari had a hankering for water and commissioned the boat. To do so, he partnered with Riva’s chairman Gino Gervasoni to make the Riva Ferrari 32 into something Testarossa-like on the water, even if did not look as great as the other products of Riva or Ferrari.
The idea was to create a Ferrari-like stud for the sea, with all the water excellence and legacy of a Riva. The Riva Ferrari 32 was so named after the Italian master companies behind it, and 32 represented the 32-feet length. Only 40 of these were ever made.
The Power & Specs
The one thing that the Riva Ferrari 32 did not have was a Ferrari engine because boats don’t need a prancing horsepower mill but a seafaring sturdy motor. So it got twin 8.0-liter BPM Vulcano V8 engines, each good for 390 horses. At 62 mph top speed, this water horse was not the fastest of its pack, and that carbon-fiber wing that stood tall and proud was more a design element than anything else, as were those slashed flanks, very reminiscent of a Testarossa.
With its Rossa Corsa gel paint (as in a glossy shade of red) and looks so very like the Testarossa itself, the Riva Ferrari 32 boasted a sleeping berth for two that sat below the deck along with plenty of storage.
Another three-seater bench was placed aft of the pilot seat and much like a Ferrari, fuel-consumption figures were never really taken into consideration. When its a Ferrari, well, who cares about the environment?
Further Features & Styling
Other than the double bed below the deck, there's also a concealed toilet. An overhead hatch, as well as storage and counter spaces, were put into for a touch of luxury. Above the deck, this angry red boat with its unmistakable Ferrari logo has rather plush white seating as well as a cockpit that boasted the best of instrumentation and gadgetry of the time. Think depth sounder, tachometers for each engine, speedometer, separate engine controls, all of it being water and sea-proofed.
There was also a customized sound system that at the time had a Clarion AM/FM/CD Player with controls on the dashboard, with Polyplaner 80W speakers.
And yet, despite all the functionality and technology in the boat, as well as its legacy as a byproduct of both Ferrari and Riva; at the 2018 RM Sotheby's auction in Arizona, a Riva Ferrari 32 sold for about $70,000. This, even though Sotheby’s has estimated the going price to be between $90,000-$120,000. Perhaps thirty years is a long time for a boat and technology moves faster on the water than land.
Sources: Sotheby's, Autoblog, Autoweek, Silodrome