Riva had a long-established history when Carlo Riva assumed control of the family business, but it was his vision that elevated the Italian boatbuilder’s products to the status of style icons. Carlo’s designs featured pure, elegant lines constructed of high-quality materials. Well-chosen details and trimmings often drew on the automotive style trends of the day, and craftsmanship was excellent. Both across Europe and around the world, a mahogany Riva runabout became an inimitable symbol of la dolce vita, with Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, Sean Connery, and Prince Rainier III of Monaco among the many celebrities to own one.

At 6.52 metres in length, and with single-engine power, the Riva Ariston offered everything that made larger models such as the Tritone and Aquarama so coveted, yet in a manageable package. The Ariston was a success, with production spanning from 1950 to 1972 and some 1,012 hulls completed in total.

This example, ‘Telstar’, has a particularly fascinating story. It draws its name from the chart-topping space-rock 1962 hit Telstar by The Tornados, written by the influential producer Joe Meeks; the title “Telstar” was a timely nod to the first telecommunications satellite, which had just gone into orbit. Intriguingly, the Riva’s immediate prior owner was the grandson of Joan Miró, and it is understood that the boat had been in the possession of the family of the famous Catalan painter and sculptor for some time. It was registered during this period in the city of Palma, on the sunny coast of Mallorca.

Now presented in restored condition, the Riva has been repowered with a modern MerCruiser V-8 producing 260 horsepower, enabling easy and worry-free cruising. The boat has widely appeared in media, including fine art pieces by René Staud, as “Vittoria” in a 2015 advertisement for the Maserati Levante, and it was also featured in (and appears on the covers of) both the 2019 book Ultimate Toys for Men and 2024’s Riva: Magic of the Legend. In 2016, the Riva was temporarily rechristened “Sei Bella” and starred in a music video for a romantic song of the same name by Enzo Amos. During filming, the Ariston looked fully at home among the gondolas in Venice’s Grand Canal.

In advance of the sale, the boat will have a professional, independent hull survey. Interested parties are strongly advised to contact RM Sotheby’s for a copy of this. A beautifully presented offering from one of the maritime world’s finest builders, ‘Telstar’ will surely be a hit at any marina graced by its presence.