Donzi 22 Classic Buyer's Guide, Specs, Speed and Values

A shape that refuses to age

Most boats look dated after ten years. The Donzi 22 Classic looks much as 22-foot Donzis did when a 1979 example was already part of the fleet at the Lake George Classic Donzi Club, and that timelessness is the whole reason people search for donzi 22 classic boats for sale. It is a long, narrow, single-engine sportboat with a big V8 under a raised hatch, two bucket seats and a bench, and very little else.

Donzi itself traces its roots to 1964, when Don Aronow founded the brand. In 2023 Donzi leader Craig Barrie compared the Classic's appeal to classic Harley-Davidsons, Jeeps, Porsches and Corvettes, products that endure because they keep the qualities that made them beloved. American Custom Marine, a Michigan dealer, put it more simply: the boats have been popular on Lake St. Clair since the 1980s and still are.

Today the 22 Classic is built in Washington, North Carolina, under Iconic Marine Group, the parent of Baja, Donzi and Fountain, and sits in Donzi's Classic series next to the larger Luxury Sport and Competition models.

Specs at a glance, small numbers with big engines

Donzi lists the 22 Classic at 22 feet 6 inches long with a 7-foot beam, 43 gallons of fuel and a dry weight of 3,725 pounds, rated for a single engine of up to 565 hp. That 7-foot beam is narrow even by sportboat standards, which is part of why the boat is so quick and part of why it feels lively in a crosswind or a beam sea.

Standard equipment includes a hand-laid hull with a 10-year transferable hull warranty, Lenco trim tabs, a fire suppression system, through-transom exhaust, a Livorsi depth sounder and gauge cluster, hydraulic steering, a Venturi-style acrylic windshield, hand-crafted tuck-and-roll Donzi Classic upholstery, Mercury DTS controls and a Fusion stereo with four JL Audio speakers.

• LOA 22 ft 6 in, beam 7 ft, dry weight 3,725 lb
• Fuel 43 gallons
• Single sterndrive from 300 hp to a Mercury Racing 565
• Seating: two bucket seats and an aft bench

The engine ladder from 6.2L to Mercury Racing 565

Donzi's current engine list starts with MerCruiser 6.2L packages of 300 and 350 hp, steps up to the 8.2 MAG at 380 hp and the 8.2 MAG HO at 430 hp, all with Bravo One drives, then moves into Mercury Racing territory with a 520 and a 565. The Racing engines come with a Bravo One Short Sportmaster drive, ITS gimbal and steering and Mercury 280 K-plane tabs, and the 565 adds a blueprinted bottom and a raised engine hatch. Silent Choice exhaust is available for the 6.2L and 8.2L, and Gibson transom-mount mufflers are optional.

Which one makes sense? The 8.2 MAG HO has been the classic sweet spot. In 2015 Baja Marine's Classic promotion sold ten 22 Classics with 8.2 HO engines, and the American Classic 22 Z revival in 2023 used the 430 hp 8.2 too. It delivers big-block torque, a strong top end and Mercury's ordinary dealer service. The Racing engines are for owners who want a toy that runs with much bigger boats, and they demand more maintenance and a more experienced driver.

Donzi 22 Classic top speed, what owners and dealers report

There is no certified magazine test of the current 22 Classic, but dealer reports give a consistent picture. In 2016 a 22 Classic with a MerCruiser 8.2 MAG HO delivered to Big Thunder Marine reportedly ran 72 mph, a blue boat with a Mercury Racing 540 sold through Outpost Marine Group reportedly ran 86 mph, and the factory expected a 565-powered boat to top 90 mph.

At the extreme end, collector Stan Pike set out to build the fastest 22 Classic in existence, adding a Whipple-supercharged big block estimated at 1,000 hp, a padded and blueprinted bottom and new rigging, with a goal of 120 mph. That is a one-off project, not a factory configuration, but it shows how far this hull can be pushed.

For most buyers, the realistic expectation is high 60s to low 70s mph with an 8.2 HO and the 80s with a Mercury Racing engine, always depending on prop, load and water.

• 8.2 MAG HO (430 hp): about 72 mph reported
• Mercury Racing 540: about 86 mph reported
• Mercury Racing 565: expected to top 90 mph per the builder in 2016

The 2021 pad-keel bottom and why it matters

In 2021 Donzi changed the bottom of the 22 Classic. Speed on the Water reported that the original rounded keel, which tended to make the boats a handful as owners stepped up the power, was replaced by a modified V-pad. The dealer at American Custom Marine called it the coolest part of the new boats, saying the 22 Classic is a lot more manageable with bigger power.

Donzi's current description confirms the pad-keel bottom along with upgraded upholstery, a next-generation dash and a Venturi windshield. If you plan to run a Mercury Racing engine, a post-2021 boat with the pad keel is the one to buy.

Anniversary editions and the 22 Z revival

Donzi likes to celebrate its past. In 2014 Baja Marine, then the parent company, released a 50th Anniversary Donzi Classic Series covering the Classic 22, Classic 18 and the Sweet 16, sold through the Baja and Pro-Line dealer network with high-output small-block V8 sterndrives. Baja CEO Johnny Walker said the first anniversary 22 buyer remembered riding in one as a boy at his grandfather's lake house.

For the brand's 60th anniversary, Donzi announced the American Classic 22 Z in April 2023, with production planned at ten boats that year. It pairs a 430 hp 8.2 with Silent Choice exhaust, dual-ram hydraulic steering and a smoked Venturi windshield with a raised hatch with metal vents, the vintage 1964 logo, houndstooth upholstery with an embroidered red Z and colors named Marilyn Monroe Red, Atomic Blonde Yellow and Dark Knight Black. Expect these to become collectible.

Buying and owning a 22 Classic

The appeal of a used donzi classic 22 for sale is that it is simple: one engine, one drive, no cabin and little equipment to fail. The weak points are the ones you expect on a single-sterndrive performance boat: exhaust manifolds and risers, the Bravo drive, the gimbal bearing, and stress on the transom and stringers from big power. A 2011 boat featured by Speed on the Water had 180 hours on its 8.2 MAG HO, was stored inside and flushed after every use, and had recently had its manifolds and risers replaced, which is exactly the kind of history to look for.

Running costs are modest for a performance boat, roughly $5,000 to $14,000 a year for insurance, service, storage and fuel, more with a Mercury Racing engine. Look for boats stored indoors, because the gelcoat graphics and tuck-and-roll upholstery are a big part of the value. Owners' clubs like the Lake George Classic Donzi Club, more than 25 years old, are an excellent source of history and advice.