Being established by a young carpenter Pietro Riva in 1842, the company engaged in producing luxury yachts has always been concerned with crafting elegant and exclusive boats for people taking true pleasure in the small details. After joining one of the leading companies in luxury boats production in the world – the Ferretti Group, Riva started working with an industrial designer Marc Newson in 2010. Their collaboration resulted in creation of the luxury Retro Riva speed boat.
While the luxury speed boat isn’t exactly breaking news, it’s still really cool. Newson created the limited edition boat by reinterpreting Riva’s classic “Aquariva”. With such a broad range of design experience under his belt (including aircraft, furniture, jewelry, and clothing design), his transition into nautical design was probably an easy one.
Choosing to create a unique vessel, Newson used phenolic composite (a wood-like laminate that is textile-based) for the deck and instrument panel. According to Riva, the material was developed in the first half of the 20th century, and was a precursor to fibreglass.
It supposedly maintains the organic feel and aesthetic of wood, while being significantly more durable. Another neat feature is that instead of the standard stainless steel and chrome brass generally associated with small boats, Newson decided to use the more modern and lightweight choice of anodized aluminum.
Newson is known to incorporate biomorphism into his designs, which is a style that uses organic lines and patterns, and his preference shows in the way he chose to design the boat using flowing lines in lieu of sharp edges. The decision also helps to give the speed boat a more retro look.
Only 22 of these sleek vessels were manufactured and sold though Riva dealers, along with the New York-based Gagosian Gallery. With a cruising speed of 41 mph and a maximum speed of 47 mph, this retro beauty looks like it belongs in a classic James Bond flick.
