A boat that earned a speed record nearly seven decades ago and hasn’t been beaten since? It must be red, because of course Ferrari would have something to do with it!
on land… The famous Italian car manufacturer has also dabbled in watersports, and won! The Ferrari boat has a history that starts back in the 1950s.
Watercraft enthusiasts may recognize the 1990 Riva Ferrari 32 Speedboat model from recent years. But they may not be familiar with the 1952 Ferrari Arno XI hydroplane. Perhaps this is because the $12 million price tag overshadows the boat itself?
The team behind the Ferrari boat
The story begins with racing champion, Achille Castoldi, who was known for setting records on water. He purchased a 4.5-liter V12 engine, as found in the Ferrari 375, and approached Cantieri Timossi to build a hydroplane for it.
, Enzo Ferrari himself got involved in the project once he heard of the duo’s plan. He provided them with an even more powerful engine that was Grand Prix race-ready, and some manpower as well. Meaning, the Scuderia F1 race team and its chief engineer, Stefano Meazza.
They modified the engine to produce 600 hp instead of just 385 hp. They achieved this output by adding twin spark plugs to each cylinder, installing two superchargers, replacing distributors and coils with twin magnetos, and doubling the compression ratio so the engine could run on methanol. Everything was encased in a metal subframe and solid hardwood frame. Final touches on the Ferrari boat included red paint and mahogany.
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Castoldi raced the Ferrari boat on October 15th, 1953, on Lake Iseo. At 150.49 mph, he set the record for the 800 kg class, and it has yet to be beat. This is Ferrari’s only record on water.
Nando dell’Orto, an engineer, purchased the Arno XI hydroplane and revised its aerodynamics for better stability. The Ferrari boat, now weighing 900 kg, continued to race for over a decade. It went into retirement after a second place finish in 1965, as told by
It was fully restored in 1990, and gained an additional 100 hp in the process. After spending some time at the Ferrari Museum in Modena, Italy, the hydroplane sold at auction for $1.1 million in 2012. It is now certified by Ferrari Classiche and listed for $12 million. Included in the sale are hundreds of historical photographs and handwritten notes.
You may not have the budget for a rare Ferrari boat, or even the $8,550 scale model. You may only be in the market for a car… Regardless of whether you plan on setting records or simply commuting to work,
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