Riva is an Italian luxury yacht manufacturer founded in 1842 by Pietro Riva on the shores of Lake Iseo in Lombardy. For over 180 years, the Riva name has been associated with the finest craftsmanship in boatbuilding. The company gained its greatest fame in the mid-20th century under Carlo Riva, who transformed the family boatyard into a producer of iconic mahogany speedboats that became symbols of la dolce vita on the Italian Riviera and the lakes of northern Italy. Models like the Aquarama, Tritone, and Super Florida became fixtures among European aristocracy, Hollywood stars, and the international jet set of the 1950s and 1960s.
Riva became part of the Ferretti Group in 2000, which is currently majority-owned by the Weichai Group, a Chinese industrial conglomerate. Under Ferretti, Riva has expanded from its heritage of wooden runabouts to a comprehensive range of fiberglass and composite yachts spanning from 27 to over 130 feet. Current models include open yachts, flybridge yachts, sport yachts, and superyachts, all designed by Officina Italiana Design (Mauro Micheli and Sergio Beretta), who have maintained a coherent design language across the range since 1995. Riva's contemporary yachts are characterized by sleek profiles, high-gloss lacquer finishes, and interiors that blend Italian furniture design with marine engineering.
Riva maintains its primary production facility in Sarnico, on the shores of Lake Iseo where the company was founded, alongside additional yards within the Ferretti Group network. The brand occupies a unique position in the luxury yacht market as perhaps the most recognized name in leisure boating worldwide, with a heritage that few competitors can match. Vintage Riva boats, particularly the Aquarama, are highly sought after by collectors and regularly achieve six-figure prices at auction.