Many might think it’s a car, but it’s actually not. It’s an Arno XI that has been revived using a Ferrari engine. The wooden hydrogen plane is powered by the Italian carmaker’s V-12 Formula 1 engines. This forgotten machine was first launched in 1953.
A look at the Ferrari 1953 Arno XI
The forgotten plane is a classic on its own and many will know when it broke the record in 1953, it is documented as a class world speed record – and it’s more than simply a cool old hydroplane.
In fact, this is the only boat in the world to have officially received a Scuderia Ferrari racing engine. Now it could be yours as it just went on sale. A brief history on the boat suggests it is connected directly to Ferrari, Enzo gave the green light to sell one of his state-of-the-art Lampredi F1 engines for use in this water-based vehicle. It
While there could be plenty of Ferrari fanatics looking to make a bid, it will not just come cheap. Various publications say the hydrogen boat is been offered for sale several times over the years, after receiving what was described by a previous auction listing as a thorough and exacting restoration in the 1990s.
This Ferrari wooden boat was priced at a staggering €868,000 at one point (or a little more than $1,000,000), and there’s no reason to think it won’t sell for at least that much this time around (the current seller simply asks interested parties to “call for price”).
The Ferrari boat’s speed and features
Taking a glance at the features of this historic machine, the Ferrari Arno XI wooden boat boasts 150.5 mph (150.49 mph.
“To be specific) speed of the Arno XI earned it a place in history. The pursuit of speed was interesting enough on its own, too,” reports Motortrend.com.
“Ferrari’s 4.5-liter V-12 originally made an impressive 385 hp, but this wasn’t nearly enough for Castoldi’s goals. Ferrari’s motorsports engine specialists set to work, adapting the engine to run on methanol and adding twin superchargers, which netted around 600 hp.”
Ferrari Arno XI using hydrogen
The benefits of owning this machine allow the potential buyer to not stress about a high-strung supercharged methanol engine.
It is reported that the boat has been converted to run on a 100-octane gasoline engine instead. But where to buy it, buyers are advised to go to the duPont Registry.
Barcheamotore has it that the “Ferrari” boat, is the only one from the Maranello factory. Widely known as an Arno XI, the boat was built on a three-point seaplane project by the Timossi shipyard on Lake Como.
A beautiful example of form and function in equal parts, the seaplane is characterized by a solid frame structure in wood combined with marine plywood with a mahogany veneer, a separate frame for the secondary metal frame to cope with the enormous power and coverage of the engine and the outside of the cockpit properly finished in Rosso Corsa.
“Castoldi’s record attempt had a competitor, Mario Verga, supported by Alfa Romeo, Ferrari’s bitter rival. Verga set the record with a top speed of 226.50 km / h (140.74),” adds the website.
“The engine chosen was the Tipo 375 V-12 designed by Aurelio Lampredi, the same unit that had powered and won the first World Championship in Ferrari with Froilan Gonzalez in 1951 and helped Ascari win the drivers’ thiolo with Ferrari in the World Championship in 1952.”
For many of the race car followers particularly Ferrari maniacs, this wooden boat is available on sale and it can just offer what the brand is famous for: speed.