What I’d Buy if I Were Rich
by TJ Hinton, onRM Sotheby’s traveling auction house was in Monaco this past weekend with plenty of items up for grabs, to include two boats of very different vintages and their own unique intrinsic values. I grew up near a marina chock full of wooden runabouts finished bright and remember watching the owners endlessly toil away at the maintenance chores to keep the boats looking sharp. Having spent many happy hours racing sailboats and watching the big offshore powerboats, I also have an appreciation for the racing machines. Needless to say, looking at the pair of watercraft that changed hands this past Saturday was kind of like going home for me, so let’s check out what some lucky folks snapped up this weekend.
Continue reading for my look at the boats at RM Sotheby’s auction.
1990 Riva Ferrari 32 (Lot #208)
SOLD – 80,640 Euros ($90,961.92)
First, let’s look at the boat that has had the theme music from Miami Vice stuck in my head, the 1990 Riva Ferrari. Shot in Rosso Corsa (red), this 32-foot, luxury raceboat is No. 28 of a 40-boat production run, so it enjoys a certain rarity. Meticulously kept, the hull has only 78 hours on her, and both 390-horspeower, Vulcano 400 V-8 engines have recently been hauled out and serviced. Billed as “pristine condition,” the boat went to its new owner complete with trailer and a custom-fitted cover. Unlike the motorcycles, I fully expect this boat to spend some time seeing and being seen out and about on some glitzy waterfront somewhere.
1974 Riva Aquarama Special “Lealena” (Lot #238)
SOLD – 448,000 Euros ($505,299.44)
The pièce de résistance for the weekend, at least for me, has to be the Riva Aquarama Special. This 28.8-foot runabout is an absolute specimen of craftsmanship, and is No. 9 of a 21-hull production run from 1974, the last year Riva built mahogany runabouts. Well maintained and recently rebuilt, this craft absolutely glows from all the wood-finished-bright, and the engine compartment with its twin, 350-horsepower V-8 engines is absolutely spotless and dry as a powderhouse. Definitely a shiny new toy or cherished treasure for some lucky person.