The only Blue Riband winner to operate fro a Mediterranean port, Rex took the title from Europa in August in 1933 when she raced from Gibraltar to the Ambrose Light in 4 days, 13 hours and 58 mins, at an average speed of 28.92 knots.

She held the title foir just over a year until the first French challenger since 1891 appeared, the Normandie.

Built at Genoa by the Ansaldo shipyard she was the only Italian liner to seriously compete with the other European giants. She was 880 ft long, with two funnels and was an extremely graceful but powerful ship ( An example of Italian style afloat?).

During the war she was laid up in dock but in 1944 while being towed to a new hideout she was sunk by British torpedo planes

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