Description

AZIMUT 58 MOTOR YACHT

FULLY BUILT AND READY TO DISPLAY SHIP MODEL

Dimension approx.: 41″ (long) x 7″ (wide)
The model is already built. THIS IS NOT A MODEL SHIP KIT

The story of Azimut Yachts begins not in a shipyard, but in the imagination of a young university student. In 1969, Paolo Vitelli, then barely beginning his adult life, started a small sailing‑yacht chartering business. It was a modest venture, but it placed him at the crossroads of a rapidly changing leisure‑boating world. Within a year, Vitelli shifted from chartering to importing and distributing yachts, founding Azimut Srl and laying the foundation for what would become one of the most influential yacht builders of the modern era.

By the mid‑1970s, Vitelli recognized that the future of yachting lay not only in selling boats, but in designing them. In 1975, Azimut began creating its own models, and two years later the company made its first major breakthrough. Working with Amerglass, Azimut launched the AZ 43’ Bali—a mass‑produced fiberglass yacht that was unusually large for its time and carried the Azimut name into the international market. That same year, the AZ 32’ Targa debuted, a sleek coupe‑style yacht with a pioneering sunroof. It became a runaway success, signaling that Azimut had found its formula: Italian style, practical innovation, and a willingness to rethink the familiar.

The 1980s marked Azimut’s transformation from an ambitious builder into a global force. In 1982, the company unveiled the Failaka 105, then the world’s largest GRP production yacht—a bold statement that Azimut intended to compete at the highest levels of yacht construction. But the defining moment came in 1985, when Azimut acquired the storied Benetti shipyard in Viareggio. Benetti, founded in 1873, brought with it a century of craftsmanship and superyacht expertise. The merger created a powerhouse capable of producing everything from sporty 30‑foot cruisers to 100‑meter megayachts.

Through the 1990s, Azimut expanded with the confidence of a company that understood its identity. New facilities opened in Fano, Benetti’s Viareggio yard was modernized, and a major production site was established in Avigliana, which would become the heart of Azimut’s fiberglass yacht operations. The company’s reach extended across Italy and into Brazil, allowing it to serve a global clientele with increasing efficiency.

By the early 2000s, Azimut Benetti S.p.A. had become one of the world’s largest private yacht‑building groups. Its fleet ranged from entry‑level flybridge yachts to some of the most admired superyachts afloat. The company’s design language—sleek lines, expansive windows, and a blend of sportiness and elegance—became instantly recognizable. Its engineering innovations, from carbon‑fiber superstructures to advanced stabilization systems, helped define the modern luxury yacht.

The passing of Paolo Vitelli in 2024 marked the end of an era, but not the end of the vision he created. Leadership passed to his daughter, Giovanna Vitelli, who had long been involved in the company’s strategic direction. Under her guidance, Azimut continues to evolve, embracing sustainability, hybrid propulsion, and new materials while preserving the craftsmanship and design ethos that made the brand iconic.

Today, Azimut stands as a testament to what can grow from a single idea—one student, one charter boat, and a belief that Italian design could reshape the world of yachting. From the early Bali and Targa models to the towering superyachts of the Benetti line, Azimut’s history is a story of ambition, reinvention, and the enduring appeal of life at sea shaped by artistry and innovation.