Pershing Turns 40: Passion for Speed
Date
Reading time
6 min
Video
2
min
Over the past forty years, Pershing has become a reference point in pleasure boating and one of the most renowned Made in Italy nautical brands, thanks to its great performance and continuous research into style and quality
In the world of luxury yachts, few names resonate with the same power and prestige as Pershing. Since the debut of the first Pershing 45 in 1985, the brand has consistently delivered a rare combination of exceptional performance and unparalleled comfort, earning a place in the hearts of maritime enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike.
Passion, creativity and continuous research are the primary values of the Pershing philosophy
Every model in the Pershing lineup, from the original to the latest, carries forward this legacy, blending groundbreaking design with cutting-edge technology.
Celebrating 40 years of innovation
The brand's 40th anniversary was celebrated in unforgettable style, set against the breathtaking beauty of Capri’s iconic Faraglioni rock formations, with the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Naples providing a dramatic backdrop. The occasion was a tribute not only to the craftsmanship and innovation that Pershing has championed for four decades but also to the enduring passion that drives it forward.
Pershing yachts stand out for their constant design and stylistic evolution, superior performance, top-quality materials, and painstakingly designed interiors offering ultimate comfort and making the best possible use of on-board spaces. Advanced construction methods, powerful engines, and the use of surface drive systems, hydro-jets and gas turbines all combine to give Pershing yachts a distinctively sporty trim and peak speeds of over 45 knots.
A fascinating history
Pershing’s history is indeed a truly fascinating one, which deepens its roots in the lucky intuition of three friends sharing a common passion for yachting: it was partly playfully, but mainly driven by their passion and entrepreneurship, that in 1981 ‘Tilli’ Antonelli, Fausto Filippetti, and Giuliano Onofri established Cantiere Navale dell’Adriatico Srl and launched their first boat. Four years later, in 1985, thanks to their acquaintance with yacht designer Fulvio De Simoni, the Pershing idea came into being.
From the Pershing 45 to a global icon
The first Pershing 45 was thus designed – an open yacht which became a huge success, characterized by new concepts of comfort and privacy, which had hitherto been an exclusive prerogative of classic motor yachts. The early 1990s marked a turning point for Pershing, which embarked upon an internationalization policy towards Mediterranean countries, the United States and the Far East.
Joining the Ferretti Group
In 1998 the Company joined the Ferretti Group, a world leader in the design, construction and sale of luxury motor yachts. This wonderful adventure continues to this day with even stronger foundations and with the same enthusiasm it had started off with.
Since 2008 Pershing has also been in partnership with the famous Swiss haute horology brand Parmigiani Fleurier. The year 2012 was the beginning of a new era for Pershing and for the entire Ferretti Group: the Chinese industrial group Weichai - one of the largest international players in the commercial vehicles and construction machinery sector - acquired a 75% interest in the Italian yachting group.
This is a strategic partnership that marks the beginning of a further international breakthrough for the brand and the Ferretti Group as a whole, aimed at ensuring ample resources in order to conquer new distribution channels, expand more effectively into the new emerging markets.
The Pershing fleet today
The Pershing fleet today consists of two ranges and a superyacht that embody the brand’s trademark innovation, performance and design.
- Generation X - comprising the 5X, 6X, 7X, 8X and 9X models - achieves the perfect balance between power, lightness and advanced technology thanks to ultra-lightweight materials, integrated control systems and sleek lines.
- GTX range - including the GTX116, GTX80 and GTX70 models – redefines the Sport Utility Yacht concept by enhancing comfort and liveability without compromising performance.
- Pershing 140 - the brand’s first all-aluminium superyacht, built at the Ferretti Group Super Yacht Yard in Ancona, combines uncompromising sportiness, revolutionary architectural solutions and meticulous attention to detail, embodying the boldest vision of Pershing.
Mondolfo shipyard
For four decades, Pershing boats have been taking shape in Mondolfo at a world-class production facility adjacent to the storied shipyard. Designed by architect Sandro Sartini, the production site spans over 84,000 square metres today and contains four buildings, two paint booths and a testing tank.
This shipyard is much more than a mere production centre: it is a magnificent setting blending together beauty and functionality, technology and design, ingenuity and know-how. It is a space designed in every detail to cope with the constant evolution of production and the extension of the product range. Design, innovation, technology, performance, and comfort: these are the founding principles of Pershing’s philosophy and activity, the starting point of any new project, as well as the final goals the shipyard has always sought to attain.
How Fulvio De Simoni defined Pershing’s style
Pershing has also demonstrated its ability to stay ahead of the times in terms of design, by introducing highly innovative, breakthrough shapes and stylistic solutions that have often become trend setters in the coupé and open cruiser sector. Every Pershing yacht is a flawless blend of class, dynamism and innovation and a symbol of Italian elegance, and stands out for its unmistakably distinctive style.
The painstaking interior layout design, countless structural and technological solutions, and the utmost care devoted to furnishings and details ensure that every Pershing yacht can boast very high quality standards. Very big part of the recognized style and quality, brand owns to designer Fulvio De Simoni, who has penciled the entire Pershing range from the very first, by now historical, model.
Pershing’s innovations in yachting
Pershing innovation also extends to design and on-board technology: right from the outset the brand has blended aesthetics and functionality with iconic solutions such as the hydraulic gangway (Pershing 45) and the concealed sliding glass door (Pershing 72), both developed in partnership with Giovanni Besenzoni’s company Besenzoni.
During four decades Pershing has become synonymous for superior quality and performance
Design-wise, Pershing has introduced sleek, sporty shapes with functional features such as the ‘Pershing wing’ (since Pershing 70), the retracting carbon fibre stairway and the pillar-free windscreen, while the boat interiors offer settings that are spacious, light-filled and carefully curated in every detail, not least thanks to collaborations with top brands including Poltrona Frau.
The Company’s mission, indeed, reads as follows: ‘We build exclusive, high-performing yachts that turn our passion into emotions’.
