Riva’s Aquarama Special was the ultimate version of the iconic twin-engined Aquarama. Boasting a longer and more efficient V-hull design and twin 350 bhp V-8 engines at her heart, the Aquarama special would be the final mahogany runabout built by Riva, with the very last example being delivered in 1996, a decade following this example’s production.

Bearing hull number 747, rather than calling the Mediterranean or the Italian lakes home, this Aquarama special was sold new to Tokyo. Photographs exist of her on the water in Tokyo as well as from her christening, overseen by a Japanese priest! Clearly a novelty in Japanese waters, the boat was featured in a handful of articles in the Japanese boating and lifestyle press when new. The Aquarama Special was eventually sold to Hong Kong, where she would spend nearly four decades.

Finally returning to her native Italy, the Aquarama Special was returned home to Riva Classiche, who carried out a complete restoration across the winter of 2025-2026, returning the boat to exactly as it was when it was completed in 1986. Accompanying the sale of the book is its Riva Classiche Certification of Authenticity as well as a book chronicling the boat’s restoration.

Typifying ‘La Dolce Vita’, the Aquarama Special sits neatly at the intersection of performance, sophistication, and timeless beauty. Benefitting from a full restoration by Riva Classiche, this Aquarama Special is ready to be handed down on to her next owner, to wright a new chapter of her life.