Ferrari of a Different Kind to be Auctioned for Bids over £1m

Ferraris are renowned as being unique, exceptional and exclusive. There is perhaps one Ferrari which the most matchless of all, and it will soon be available for once-off sale.

A world-record holding 1950’s speedboat known as the Arno XI Hydroplane is quite possibly the most individual Ferrari ever produced.  This one-of-a-kind racing boat holds a special place however in the annals of Ferrari celebrated history.  Engineered to compete with the Maserati boats of the Guidotti family in a head-on challenge, Enzo Ferrari personally oversaw this pet project.  His technical expertise and expert knowledge also provided input into the actual development of the boat.  This was combined with the passion of boat-racing fan Achille Castoldi and legendary Ferrari race car driver Alberto Ascari.  From 1952 to 1953 this incredible team developed this incomparable floating speed machine. 

Not only was the speed boat designed by the Ferrari patriarch, and driven by a Ferrari ace, it was powered by a twin-supercharged twelve-cylinder Ferrari engine.  Originally built to power a Type 375 Ferrari Grand Prix race car, it was placed in the Arno XI to deliver its whopping 600 bhp on water. It gained its place in the record books on 15th October 1953 at Lake Iseo, setting the world speed record of its day at 150 mph.  Even to this day the record still stands, no other boat in the 800kg class having been able to break that benchmark. 

The Hydroplane continued racing successfully for another decade.  In 1993 a period overhaul of the Arno XI resulted in a beautifully restored as-new boat, for its third owner since inception. 

This particularly-special Ferrari is now set to be displayed on the auction floor of the Monaco dealing house who will be selling this piece of racing history in May.  For aficionados of anything fast and Ferrari, it is expected that the successful bid will be in excess of £1m.  For a once in a lifetime ownership opportunity, the lucky owner will also be able to take home original pictures, hand-written notes, and the most exclusive Ferrari memorabilia ever.