FOR SALE: 1968 Cranchi Export –

A Rare Italian Classic with a Notorious Backstory

Price: $40,000

Location: Italy (International Shipping Available)

Certification: Registered with the Italian Historical Society

Step into a piece of living history with this stunning 1968 Cranchi Export — a handcrafted

wooden runabout with a story as bold as its design.

One of only 40 units ever built, this rare 5-meter Cranchi represents the early roots of one of

Italy’s most renowned boatbuilders, a company whose legacy dates back to 1870. The boat’s

sleek lines, expertly restored wooden hull, and vintage details evoke the golden era of European

boating — but it’s the past beneath the varnish that makes this vessel truly legendary.

⚓ A Boat with a Notorious Past

During the early 1970s, this very Cranchi Export played an infamous role in a pivotal chapter of

Italian maritime history. Owned by a known figure in the Comacchio branch of the Italian mob,

the boat was used in the covert operation known as "Il Contrabbando del Biondo" — the

smuggling of American cigarettes into Italy.

Under cover of darkness and dense river fog, smugglers would dash from the Adriatic Sea to the

inland waters of Comacchio, a marshy, remote region ideal for evading law enforcement. Fast

and nimble, this Cranchi was a favored tool in their high-stakes game — until one night, it was

ambushed by the Italian Guardia di Finanza. The resulting shootout left bullet holes in the port

bow, one of which remains carefully preserved today as a nearly invisible scar, a ghost of its

dramatic past.

Certified by the Italian Historical Society, this boat stands as a remarkable symbol of both

Italian craftsmanship and its colorful post-war underworld lore.

� Specifications:

• Make: Cranchi

• Model: Export

• Year: 1968

• Length: 5 meters (approx. 16.4 ft)

• Beam: 1.77 meters

• Gross Tonnage: 1.19 GT

• Hull Material: Wood (fully restored and preserved)

• Engine: Mercruiser 120 (4-cylinder, 1986)

◦ Recently overhauled – only 1 hour of use since

• Condition: Excellent with historic patina

� Why This Boat?

• One of just 40 built – ultra-rare Italian vintage

• Historical certification from the Italian Historical Society

• Mob-era provenance with a preserved bullet mark from a real shootout

• Thoroughly restored – both seaworthy and museum-worthy

• A true collector’s dream – story, design, and drama all in one

Whether you're a collector, a historian, or simply someone drawn to objects with soul and stories,

this Cranchi Export is more than a boat — it's a cinematic relic of Italy’s rebellious maritime

past, ready for its next chapter.

Contact now for more information or to schedule a private viewing.