Automobiles Venturi
Encyclopedia
Venturi Automobiles is a French
manufacturer of sports cars born under the name of MVS (Manufacture de Voitures de Sport). The original company built high performance mid-engined sports cars, the most well known of which is the Venturi Atlantique
, from 1984 until it declared bankruptcy in 2000.
The brand was purchased in 2001. It is now based in Monaco
and builds extremely limited production electric vehicles.
The first Venturi came out in 1984, created by Claude Poiraud and Gérard Godfroy, two former engineers at Heuliez
. The goal was to present the only "Grand Tourisme
" French car capable of competing with the French Bugatti
, the Italian Ferrari
, and the German Porsche
. The headquarters of the company were located in Couëron
, Pays de Loire, where almost 750 cars were produced in 20 years.
From the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, they built mid-engined coupés and roadsters
with turbocharged PRV engine
s and Renault
gearboxes. Engine power ranged from 213 to 264 PS for the Venturi Atlantique
series.
A limited edition 400 GTR was built for racing homologation
requirements and later used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans
. Venturi was also briefly involved with the Larrousse
Formula One
team. The team's 1992 car, which bore the Venturi name, was designed and built by Venturi Larousse UK, a British company formerly known as Fomet 1, which had previously designed the 1991 Fondmetal
Formula One cars. The 400 GT remains one of the best performing French cars ever produced, and it is in fact the very first car in the world to have standard carbon brakes. True to that claim, the Atlantique 400 GT with a 408 hp V6 delivered excellent performance to put it on par with Ferraris of the early 90s. The 400 GT could hit 100 kilometre per hour in 4.7 seconds and 291 kilometre per hour top speed, while the 300GT with a 314 PS V6 did 4.9 seconds to 100 kilometre per hour and went all the way to 171 mi/h.
High-level competition has also brought fame to the brand. Stéphane Ratel, who would later found the FIA GT Championship
, was at the origin of the Venturi Gentlemen Drivers Trophy, which gathered an impressive array of 75 drivers. Venturi has also won fame through its brilliant performances in the 24 Hours of Le Mans
, particularly in 1993 with Christophe Dechavanne
and Jacques Laffite
on Venturi Jaccadi team, and in 1995 with Paul Belmondo
racing on the 600 SLM.
However, it is in the BPR Global GT Series
races that Venturi established its pedigree defeating Porsche and Ferrari on several occasions. In 1994 in Dijon-Prenois
, with Ferté and Neugarten on the 600 LM Jaccadi, at the 1000 km of Paris with Henri Pescarolo
and Jean-Claude Basso on the 600 LM, and finally at the 4 Hours Spa race, once again with Michel Ferté and Michel Neugarten.
In 2001, the Monegasque
millionaire Gildo Pallanca Pastor bought Venturi and decided to focus on electric-powered engines, leading to the Fétish
model. More recent models are the Eclectic, the world's first energy-autonomous vehicle, a low speed vehicle that has solar panels and a built-in wind charger and can be plugged in and the Astrolab, the world's first solar-electric hybrid car. There has been about 60-65 orders for the Fétish, but only about 30 have been delivered as of 2011.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
manufacturer of sports cars born under the name of MVS (Manufacture de Voitures de Sport). The original company built high performance mid-engined sports cars, the most well known of which is the Venturi Atlantique
Venturi Atlantique
The Venturi Atlantique was a mid-engined, fiberglass-bodied French sports car produced by Venturi Automobiles from 1991 to 2000.-Atlantique 260:...
, from 1984 until it declared bankruptcy in 2000.
The brand was purchased in 2001. It is now based in Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
and builds extremely limited production electric vehicles.
History
Heuliez
Heuliez is a French company that works as a production and design unit for various automakers. It specializes in producing short series for niche markets, such as convertibles or station-wagons....
. The goal was to present the only "Grand Tourisme
Grand tourer
A grand tourer is a high-performance luxury automobile designed for long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement....
" French car capable of competing with the French Bugatti
Bugatti
Automobiles E. Bugatti was a French car manufacturer founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, as a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti....
, the Italian Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
, and the German Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
. The headquarters of the company were located in Couëron
Couëron
Couëron is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.Couëron is one of the 24 communes of the Urban Community of Nantes.-Geography:...
, Pays de Loire, where almost 750 cars were produced in 20 years.
From the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, they built mid-engined coupés and roadsters
Roadsters
Roadsters is a racing game that was released by Titus Software in 2000 for the Nintendo 64, Playstation, Sega Dreamcast and Gameboy Color. It is a car racing game that features both licensed cars from manufacturers and unlicensed cars from imaginary manufacturers that are based and bare great...
with turbocharged PRV engine
PRV engine
The PRV engine is an automobile petrol V6 engine that was developed jointly by Peugeot, Renault and Volvo Cars – and sold from 1974 to 1998. It was gradually replaced after 1994 by another joint PSA-Renault design, known as the ES engine at PSA and the L engine at Renault.-Corporate history:The...
s and Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
gearboxes. Engine power ranged from 213 to 264 PS for the Venturi Atlantique
Venturi Atlantique
The Venturi Atlantique was a mid-engined, fiberglass-bodied French sports car produced by Venturi Automobiles from 1991 to 2000.-Atlantique 260:...
series.
A limited edition 400 GTR was built for racing homologation
Homologation
Homologation is a technical term, derived from the Greek homologeo for "to agree", which is generally used in English to signify the granting of approval by an official authority...
requirements and later used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
. Venturi was also briefly involved with the Larrousse
Larrousse
Larrousse Formula One was a motorsports racing team founded in 1987 by Didier Calmels and former racer Gérard Larrousse, originally under the name Larrousse & Calmels. It was based in Antony, in the southern suburbs of Paris. It was renamed Larrousse after the departure of Calmels for legal reasons...
Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
team. The team's 1992 car, which bore the Venturi name, was designed and built by Venturi Larousse UK, a British company formerly known as Fomet 1, which had previously designed the 1991 Fondmetal
Fondmetal
Fondmetal is a Italian wheel manufacturer, founded by Gabriele Rumi.It also was a Formula One constructor from 1991 through 1992, as well as a Formula One engine supplier in 2000 and sponsor of several teams throughout this period...
Formula One cars. The 400 GT remains one of the best performing French cars ever produced, and it is in fact the very first car in the world to have standard carbon brakes. True to that claim, the Atlantique 400 GT with a 408 hp V6 delivered excellent performance to put it on par with Ferraris of the early 90s. The 400 GT could hit 100 kilometre per hour in 4.7 seconds and 291 kilometre per hour top speed, while the 300GT with a 314 PS V6 did 4.9 seconds to 100 kilometre per hour and went all the way to 171 mi/h.
High-level competition has also brought fame to the brand. Stéphane Ratel, who would later found the FIA GT Championship
FIA GT Championship
The FIA GT Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation at the behest of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The championship was mostly concentrated in Europe, but throughout the years has visited other continents including Asia and South...
, was at the origin of the Venturi Gentlemen Drivers Trophy, which gathered an impressive array of 75 drivers. Venturi has also won fame through its brilliant performances in the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
, particularly in 1993 with Christophe Dechavanne
Christophe Dechavanne
Christophe Dechavanne, born January 23, 1958 in Paris is a French television and radio hostand program producer.Dechavanne started working as a radio host in the early 1980s. In 1985, he presented the daily talk-show C'est encore mieux l'après-midi on the state-owned television channel Antenne 2...
and Jacques Laffite
Jacques Laffite
Jacques-Henri Laffite is a French former racing driver who competed in Formula One from to . He achieved six grand prix wins, all while driving for the Ligier team. He is now a TV commentator on French television TF1....
on Venturi Jaccadi team, and in 1995 with Paul Belmondo
Paul Belmondo
Paul Alexandre Belmondo is a French racing driver who raced in Formula One for the March and Pacific Racing teams. He is the son of actor Jean-Paul Belmondo and grandson of sculptor Paul Belmondo...
racing on the 600 SLM.
However, it is in the BPR Global GT Series
BPR Global GT Series
The BPR Global GT Series was a grand tourer-based sports car racing series which ran from 1994 to 1996 before becoming the FIA GT Championship in 1997...
races that Venturi established its pedigree defeating Porsche and Ferrari on several occasions. In 1994 in Dijon-Prenois
Dijon-Prenois
Dijon-Prenois is a motor racing circuit located in Prenois, near Dijon, France. The undulating track is noted for its fast, sweeping bends....
, with Ferté and Neugarten on the 600 LM Jaccadi, at the 1000 km of Paris with Henri Pescarolo
Henri Pescarolo
Henri Pescarolo is a former racing driver from France. He participated in 64 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 22 September 1968. He achieved one podium, and scored a total of 12 championship points...
and Jean-Claude Basso on the 600 LM, and finally at the 4 Hours Spa race, once again with Michel Ferté and Michel Neugarten.
Revival
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
millionaire Gildo Pallanca Pastor bought Venturi and decided to focus on electric-powered engines, leading to the Fétish
Venturi Fetish
The Venturi Fétish is the world's first two-seater electric sports car . It is produced by Venturi in Monaco, and the futuristic design of the car was done by the Parisian designers Sacha Lakic. The Fétish was first introduced in concept form at the 2002 Salon International de l'Auto...
model. More recent models are the Eclectic, the world's first energy-autonomous vehicle, a low speed vehicle that has solar panels and a built-in wind charger and can be plugged in and the Astrolab, the world's first solar-electric hybrid car. There has been about 60-65 orders for the Fétish, but only about 30 have been delivered as of 2011.
List of models
- Coupé 160 Ch BVA
- Coupé 180 Ch
- Coupé 200 ch
- Coupé 210 ch
- Coupé 260 SPC
- Coupé 260 APC
- Coupé 260 Atlantique
- Transcup 160 Ch BVA
- Transcup 160 Ch BVM
- Coupé 260 LM
- Transcup 180
- Transcup 200
- Transcup 210
- Transcup 260
- Atlantique 300
- Atlantique 300 Bi-Turbo
- 300 GTR
- MVS Venturi (includes Coupé and Cabriolet versions)
- Venturi AtlantiqueVenturi AtlantiqueThe Venturi Atlantique was a mid-engined, fiberglass-bodied French sports car produced by Venturi Automobiles from 1991 to 2000.-Atlantique 260:...
(rework of the MVS Venturi) - Venturi 400 GT (homologation special, generated 500 LM and 600 LM versions)
- 500 LM
- 600 LM
- 600 SLM
- FétishVenturi FetishThe Venturi Fétish is the world's first two-seater electric sports car . It is produced by Venturi in Monaco, and the futuristic design of the car was done by the Parisian designers Sacha Lakic. The Fétish was first introduced in concept form at the 2002 Salon International de l'Auto...
- GT3
- Eclectic (concept car)
- Astrolab (electro-solar concept car)
- Volage (electric concept roadsterRoadsterA roadster is a two-seat open car with emphasis on sporty handling and without a fixed roof or side weather protection. Strictly speaking a roadster with wind-up windows is a convertible but as true roadsters are no longer made the distinction is now irrelevant...
car with 8 Active Wheel in-wheel motors from French tire giant MichelinMichelinMichelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
) - Eclectic 2.0
- La Jamais Contente
- Fétish IIVenturi FetishThe Venturi Fétish is the world's first two-seater electric sports car . It is produced by Venturi in Monaco, and the futuristic design of the car was done by the Parisian designers Sacha Lakic. The Fétish was first introduced in concept form at the 2002 Salon International de l'Auto...
next generation of the FétishFetishFetish may refer to:* Fetishism, the attribution of religious or mystical qualities to inanimate objects* Sexual fetishism, sexual attraction to objects, body parts, or situations not conventionally viewed as being sexual in nature.... - America concept suv
Complete Formula One results
(results in bold indicate pole position)| Year | Entrant | Engine(s) | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Park Venturi Larrousse Larrousse Larrousse Formula One was a motorsports racing team founded in 1987 by Didier Calmels and former racer Gérard Larrousse, originally under the name Larrousse & Calmels. It was based in Antony, in the southern suburbs of Paris. It was renamed Larrousse after the departure of Calmels for legal reasons... |
Lamborghini Lamborghini Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like... V12 V12 engine A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft.... |
RSA 1992 South African Grand Prix The 1992 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on March 1, 1992. It was the first round of the 1992 Formula One season.- Classification :- Notes :... |
MEX 1992 Mexican Grand Prix The 1992 Mexican Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Mexico City on March 22, 1992. It was the second round of the 1992 Formula One season.- Classification :- Notes :*Lap leaders: Nigel Mansell 69... |
BRA 1992 Brazilian Grand Prix The 1992 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Interlagos on April 5, 1992. It was the third round of the 1992 Formula One season.- Classification :- Notes :*Lap leaders: Riccardo Patrese 31 , Nigel Mansell 40... |
ESP 1992 Spanish Grand Prix The 1992 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on May 3, 1992 at the Circuit de Catalunya. It was the fourth round of the 1992 Formula One season.__FORCETOC__-Race:The race was also advertised as the Grand Prix of the Olympic Games... |
SMR 1992 San Marino Grand Prix The 1992 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Imola on May 17, 1992. It was the fifth round of the 1992 Formula One season.-Qualifying:... |
MON 1992 Monaco Grand Prix The 1992 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on May 31, 1992 at the Monaco. It was the sixth round of the 1992 Formula One season. The race, contested over 78 laps was won by Ayrton Senna after a close battle for the lead in the final three laps with pole sitter Nigel Mansell... |
CAN 1992 Canadian Grand Prix The 1992 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 14, 1992. It was the seventh round of the 1992 Formula One season.- Qualifying :... |
FRA 1992 French Grand Prix The 1992 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Magny-Cours on July 5, 1992. It was the eighth round of the 1992 Formula One season.-Race:A lorry driver blockade meant the Andrea Moda Formula team did not appear at this race... |
GBR 1992 British Grand Prix The 1992 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on July 12, 1992. It was the ninth round of the 1992 Formula One season... |
GER 1992 German Grand Prix The 1992 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Hockenheimring on July 26, 1992. It was the tenth round of the 1992 Formula One season.-Background:... |
HUN 1992 Hungarian Grand Prix The 1992 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Hungaroring on 16 August 1992. It was the eleventh round of the 1992 Formula One season... |
BEL 1992 Belgian Grand Prix The 1992 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on August 30, 1992. It was the twelfth round of the 1992 Formula One season. The race was won by Benetton's Michael Schumacher, it was the first of his record 91 Grand Prix wins... |
ITA 1992 Italian Grand Prix The 1992 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 13, 1992. It was the thirteenth round of the 1992 Formula One season.- Qualifying :... |
POR 1992 Portuguese Grand Prix The 1992 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Autódromo do Estoril on September 27, 1992. It was the fourteenth round of the 1992 Formula One season. Nigel Mansell won the race, breaking the record for most wins in one season. However, the race is best remembered for the... |
JPN 1992 Japanese Grand Prix The 1992 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Suzuka on 25 October 1992. It was the fifteenth race of the 1992 Formula One season.- Before the race :... |
AUS 1992 Australian Grand Prix The 1992 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Adelaide on November 8, 1992. It was the sixteenth and final round of the 1992 Formula One season. The most significant moment was a collision between Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell as the Brazilian attempted to overtake the... |
1 | 11th | |||
| Bertrand Gachot Bertrand Gachot Bertrand Gachot is a French-Belgian former racing driver.-Career:Gachot is the son of a French European Commission official. He began karting at the age of 15. In 1983 he attended Winfield School, a well-known racing-driving school in France. After this, he focused on his racing career, competing... |
Ret | 11 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 6 | DSQ | Ret | Ret | 14 | Ret | 18 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | ||||||
| Ukyo Katayama Ukyo Katayama is a Japanese racing driver, most notable for competing six years in Formula One. Despite struggling with under-funded teams throughout his career, Katayama's performances impressed on several occasions, and was popular in the F1 paddock for his unshakeably sunny disposition and self-deprecating... |
12 | 12 | 9 | DNQ | Ret | DNPQ | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 17 | 9 | Ret | 11 | Ret |
Officials
Others
- 15 400GT were built
- Venturi Astrolab solar carSolar car racingSolar car racing refers to competitive races of electric vehicles which are powered by solar energy obtained from solar panels on the surface of the car . The first solar car race was the Tour de Sol in 1985 which led to several similar races in Europe, USA and Australia...
, see also http://www.venturi.fr/electric-vehicules-astrolab-concept.html.