RM
Auctions has announced the consignment of the famous
Ferrari-engined Hydroplane racing boat, Arno XI, to its
Monaco auction in May. Arno XI joins a line up of
automobiles and motorcycles slated for the multi-day
sale at the Grimaldi Forum which is held during the same
weekend as the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique.
Arno XI was the
brainchild of Achille Castoldi, who, wanting to
establish a world water speed record, set about
developing the ultimate powerboat. During 1952 and 1953,
Mr. Castoldi, a friend of the famous Ferrari Grand Prix
drivers Alberto Ascari and Luigi Villoresi, succeeded in
convincing Enzo Ferrari to provide knowledge and
technical assistance to develop the boat. The result was
horsepower provided by a 12-cylinder, 4,500 cc V12
Ferrari engine, the same as that installed in the Type
375 Grand Prix car that gave José Froilán González
Ferrari’s first ever World Championship Grand Prix
Victory at Silverstone in 1951, with the only addition
being twin superchargers that developed in excess of
502bhp at 6000rpm. On 15th October, 1953, ARNO XI
achieved 241.70 km/h (150.19 mph) on Lake Iseo in
northern Italy, establishing a world speed record for an
800kg boat. The record, surprisingly, still stands
today.
“We are thrilled to be
offering the historic Arno XI at our Monaco sale. This
awe-inspiring racing boat has beauty, history,
provenance and performance; it simply ticks every box
for any serious collector,” says Peter Wallman,
specialist at RM Europe.
When Castoldi was
finished with Arno XI, it was sold to Nando dell'Orto,
who went on to race it with great success for more than
10 years, securing numerous wins. The boat went through
various aerodynamic improvements during that time,
including a modified nose and the addition of a fin,
finishing its competitive racing career in 1960 with a
European championship victory and numerous fastest laps,
many of which still exist.
The current owner
acquired the racing boat over 20 years ago, restoring it
to concours condition. Arno XI has been in the water
many times since and is not only an impressive sight
when seen in action but also sounds magnificent.
Well-documented, its sale is accompanied by an extensive
history file including numerous period photographs and
hand-written notes from the Ferrari engineer, Colombo,
during tests on Lake Iseo and during bench testing at
Ferrari’s Maranello factory. This machine is estimated
to achieve between €1.000.000 - €1.500.000 when it
crosses the auction podium in May.
“It’s an exceptional
piece of history, made even more famous by the countless
models one sees of it in important collectors’ libraries
and is likely to appeal to serious car collectors as
much as it will to traditional boat collectors,” adds
Wallman. “It has that alluring mix of ’50s Ferrari grand
prix car with the sheer beauty and simplicity of the
hydroplanes of the period. We are honoured to have been
entrusted with its sale,” he continues.
