Other much appreciated features included the roomy cockpit and the second helm station on the flybridge. The particularly innovative circular stairway was later reprised on the Riva 2000, because as well as being highly original, it also freed up more space on board. Carlo Pagani, who had studied under the celebrated Gio Ponti, was involved in designing the refined elegance of the interiors. Architect Giorgio Barilani collaborated on this project, which proved to be innovative in terms of both its performance and layout. The Superamerica was the forerunner of all Riva cabin cruisers over 40 feet and continued the Yard's experimentation with composite materials. These were unforgettable and emotion-filled moments for the engineer who built the Ferraris of the sea and, with the same ardour and enthusiasm, was about to leave his unmistakable stylistic mark on a new technological era. Presented for the first time at the 1970 Genoa Boat Show, they aroused the curiosity of owners and experts alike, shocked to see that composite materials too could produce sensations of beauty, balance and harmony. The Riva BERTRAM fibreglass hulls were a new development in recreational boating, and yet another example of Carlo Riva's indispensable contribution. He managed to soften the appearance of the composite materials with the warmth of wood in the detailing on the hull and superstructure, but also in the interior finishes. At the 1991 Genoa Boat Show, Riva presented the 58' Bahamas, the first of its boats on which designer Mauro Micheli worked.ĭetermined to design something new and with the same passion that had gone into the creation of his evergreen runabouts, Carlo Riva exploited the collaboration with Bertram to start redesigning with style, taste and elegance the deck and superstructure of two boats imported from the USA: the 20' BAHIA MAR and the 25' SPORT FISHERMAN. This marked the end of the Riva family's involvement in it. In 1989, a year after the acquisition of 100% of Riva's stock by the UK group Vickers (which also included the Rolls-Royce brand), Gino Gervasoni, husband of Carlo Riva's sister, left the Yard after 41 years. Despite the success of fibreglass, production of wooden runabouts continued until 1996, the year the last Aquarama Special (number 784) was built. Tropez - produced until 1992 - and the Corsaro 58, followed by the Black Corsair and the Riva 32 Ferrari. The highly successful Superamerica, a sporty flybridge produced in various lengths from 45 to 50 feet, was the first major cabin cruiser and remained on sale for over 20 years. In the 1970s, '80s and '90s various new models were launched. Carlo Riva nevertheless continued frequenting the Yard for a further ten years as the tenant of "La Plancia", his old office. New and old models evolved and the Riva tradition lived on. These two posts were then held by his brother-in-law and business partner (since 1950) Gino Gervasoni. In parallel, embittered by the adverse trade union climate, in September 1969 Carlo Riva sold the yard to the US firm Whittaker but remained as chairman and general manager until his resignation in 1971. These models had exposed wood finishings, in keeping with tradition. The first two Riva models in composite material were the Bahia Mar 20 day cruiser and the Sport Fisherman 25 cabin cruiser, followed by the Rudy. The first Riva-branded boat was built in 1969 and the 1970s began with the launch of fibreglass production across the entire range, in collaboration with the American yard Bertram, which had been using the material extensively for years and with excellent results. But it meant becoming familiar with a completely new material that was very different from wood, and for the workers at the Yard it wasn't an easy transition. Contrary to general opinion, he thought it was the perfect material to have more aesthetic and design freedom, as well as reducing maintenance costs (almost to zero) and increasing production capacity.
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