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Monteverdi (car)
Encyclopedia
Monteverdi was a Swiss
brand of luxury cars created in 1967 by Peter Monteverdi
(1934–1998) and based in Binningen on the southern edge of Basel
, Switzerland.
while at the same time developing the motor vehicle repair business founded by his father into a major dealership handling Ferrari
, BMW
and Lancia
marques.
By 1967, he had decided to undertake series production of exclusive high performance luxury sports and touring cars. The first model, the 2-seater Monteverdi High Speed 375S coupé, was launched at that year's Frankfurt Motor Show and received very positive reviews. The car used a heavy and simple steel frame provided by Stahlbau Muttenz GmbH with an aluminium body designed by Pietro Frua
. It looked quite similar to other Frua creations of that time, particularly the Maserati Mistral
Coupé and the British AC 428. There are rumours that all the three shared some details like windows etc. The elegant looking car was powered by a 440c.i. (7.2 Litre) Chrysler
V8 engine delivering up to 375 bhp (according to SAE standards) and had a luxurious interior finished to the highest standards. Eleven copies of the Frua-designed Monteverdi coupé were built from 1968 to 1969, then the alliance of Monteverdi and Frua split in anger. Not long before, Frua had built two 2+2 coupés with a stretched wheelbase. One of them was presented as Monteverdi 375/L, the other one stayed for some years at Frua before, in 1971, it was slightly modified and sold to AC where it was presented as a one-off AC 428.
In 1969, Monteverdi choose the small Carozzeria Fissore for further collaboration. Fissore re-designed the 375 Coupé and built the bodies that where delivered to Monteverdi where the cars were finally assembled. Now, the car has square lines but still elegant proportions. The 2+2 form became the standard model but subsequently other body styles were offered. First, there was a short-wheelbase 2-seat coupé called the 375/S and - on the same short wheelbase - a drophead dubbed the 375/C. Those cars are extremely rare nowadays. Soon, Monteverdi also offered a massive sedan called 375/4 and about 30 were built. Other variations on the same theme were the 1974 Berlinetta with a different front styling and Triumph TR6
tail lights and another convertible, called Palm Beach. This car is said to be the rarest Monteverdi, only two being made.
The production of super luxury cars ended in 1976. By that time, Monteverdi had started the mass production of a new kind of car, well-equipped luxurious Off-road Station wagon
s. The first Model was the Monteverdi Sahara. In fact, it was not a Monteverdi development but a boutique car. Monteverdi used a technically unchanged International Harvester Scout
, changed the grill and tuned up the interior. The second model was the Safari. In this case, Monteverdi also used a Scout but most of the bodywork was changed, once again designed by Fissore. In addition to standard Scout 5.7 Litre V8 there was an option to install the 440 c.i. V8 from Chrysler. The car had a proper, almost Italian look, and it sold well, in Europe as well as in the Middle East.
As far as road cars were concerned, Monteverdi changed to the boutique car system in 1977 for these as well. The Monteverdi Sierra was a Sedan with a 5.2 Litre V8 engine and distinctive looks. It was actually a Plymouth Volaré with slightly changed bodywork. Once again, it was a work of Fissore, and it was a good piece of work. With few modifications, the car looked very European, with obvious similarities to the Fiat 130
. Fenders, bumpers, grill and some smaller parts were modified: headlamps were taken from Fiat 125
, rear lights came from Renault 12
. The rest - windows, doors, and mechanical parts remained unchanged. The Sierra soon was accompanied by a two door convertible based on a Dodge Diplomat Coupe
. Only two were made. Finally, Monteverdi also made a station wagon based on a Plymouth. It remained a one-off that was never sold.
When the production of the Plymouth Volaré ended in 1980, Monteverdi chose another car to be converted. This time, it was the new Mercedes S-Class (W 126)
. The front got a massive chrome grille with four round headlamps looking like an Alfa Romeo Alfetta
(third series), while the rear lamps were provided by Peugeot (505 sedan)
. It was announced in 1982 for a price of 185.000 Swiss Francs, and badged as Monteverdi Tiara. It is not clear if there was serious production, particularly as the final design looked somewhat dated, being less aerodynamic looking, when compared to the Mercedes-Benz original.
Car production in Basel ended by 1984. The factory was converted into a museum, the Monteverdi Car Collection, which opened in 1985.
In 1992, Monteverdi tried to re-enter the car scene with the Monteverdi Hai 650 F1
with no success,apparently two prototypes have been built, all residing in the Monteverdi Museum in Basel.
Formula One
team, which he renamed Monteverdi-Onyx for the 1990 season. The survived only until the tenth race of the sixteen-race season before closing down.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
brand of luxury cars created in 1967 by Peter Monteverdi
Peter Monteverdi
Peter Monteverdi was a Swiss automaker and creator of the automobile brand Monteverdi....
(1934–1998) and based in Binningen on the southern edge of Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, Switzerland.
History
During the late 1950s and early 1960s Peter Monteverdi built, sold and raced a number of "specials" called MBMMBM (automobile)
The MBM was a Swiss Formula One racing car. The car was built by Peter Monteverdi at his base in Binningen, and was designed to compete in Grands Prix, although this aim was ultimately not achieved....
while at the same time developing the motor vehicle repair business founded by his father into a major dealership handling 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...
, BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
and Lancia
Lancia
Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...
marques.
By 1967, he had decided to undertake series production of exclusive high performance luxury sports and touring cars. The first model, the 2-seater Monteverdi High Speed 375S coupé, was launched at that year's Frankfurt Motor Show and received very positive reviews. The car used a heavy and simple steel frame provided by Stahlbau Muttenz GmbH with an aluminium body designed by Pietro Frua
Pietro Frua
Pietro Frua was one of the leading Italian coachbuilders and car designers during the 1950s and 1960s.-Early years:...
. It looked quite similar to other Frua creations of that time, particularly the Maserati Mistral
Maserati Mistral
The Maserati Mistral , named after a cold northerly wind of southern France, was the successor to the iconic 3500 GT, it was also the first in a series of classic Maseratis to be given the name of a wind. It was offered both in Coupe and Spyder form...
Coupé and the British AC 428. There are rumours that all the three shared some details like windows etc. The elegant looking car was powered by a 440c.i. (7.2 Litre) Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
V8 engine delivering up to 375 bhp (according to SAE standards) and had a luxurious interior finished to the highest standards. Eleven copies of the Frua-designed Monteverdi coupé were built from 1968 to 1969, then the alliance of Monteverdi and Frua split in anger. Not long before, Frua had built two 2+2 coupés with a stretched wheelbase. One of them was presented as Monteverdi 375/L, the other one stayed for some years at Frua before, in 1971, it was slightly modified and sold to AC where it was presented as a one-off AC 428.
Triumph TR6
The Triumph TR6 is a British six-cylinder sports car and the best-seller of the TR range built by Triumph when production ended in July 1976. This record was then surpassed by the TR7...
tail lights and another convertible, called Palm Beach. This car is said to be the rarest Monteverdi, only two being made.
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
s. The first Model was the Monteverdi Sahara. In fact, it was not a Monteverdi development but a boutique car. Monteverdi used a technically unchanged International Harvester Scout
International Harvester Scout
Scout 80s were built between 1960 and 1965. These models were identifiable by removable sliding side windows in 1960–1961 and even some very early 1962 models, a fold-down windshield, vacuum windshield wipers mounted to the top of the windshield and an IH logo in the center of the grille...
, changed the grill and tuned up the interior. The second model was the Safari. In this case, Monteverdi also used a Scout but most of the bodywork was changed, once again designed by Fissore. In addition to standard Scout 5.7 Litre V8 there was an option to install the 440 c.i. V8 from Chrysler. The car had a proper, almost Italian look, and it sold well, in Europe as well as in the Middle East.
As far as road cars were concerned, Monteverdi changed to the boutique car system in 1977 for these as well. The Monteverdi Sierra was a Sedan with a 5.2 Litre V8 engine and distinctive looks. It was actually a Plymouth Volaré with slightly changed bodywork. Once again, it was a work of Fissore, and it was a good piece of work. With few modifications, the car looked very European, with obvious similarities to the Fiat 130
Fiat 130
The Fiat 130 is a large executive car manufactured by the Italian automaker Fiat, which was available as a saloon or coupé.The saloon was launched at the 39th Geneva Motor Show in March 1969, replacing the previous largest and most exclusive Fiat saloon, the Fiat 2300...
. Fenders, bumpers, grill and some smaller parts were modified: headlamps were taken from Fiat 125
Fiat 125
The Fiat 125 is a large family car introduced by Fiat in 1967 and produced by them until 1972. Derivatives were built under license outside Italy until the 1990s...
, rear lights came from Renault 12
Renault 12
The Renault 12 is a family car produced by French automaker Renault between 1969 and 1980. Available as a saloon and estate , it was also produced under licence in many countries across the globe into the early 21st century....
. The rest - windows, doors, and mechanical parts remained unchanged. The Sierra soon was accompanied by a two door convertible based on a Dodge Diplomat Coupe
Dodge Diplomat
The Dodge Diplomat is an American mid-size car made from 1977 to 1989. It is substantially identical to the Chrysler- and Plymouth-branded versions of Chrysler's M-body cars, including the Chrysler LeBaron and New Yorker Fifth Avenue and the Plymouth Gran Fury in the U.S. market and the Plymouth...
. Only two were made. Finally, Monteverdi also made a station wagon based on a Plymouth. It remained a one-off that was never sold.
When the production of the Plymouth Volaré ended in 1980, Monteverdi chose another car to be converted. This time, it was the new Mercedes S-Class (W 126)
Mercedes-Benz S-Class
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a series of luxury sedans produced by Mercedes-Benz, a division of Daimler AG. The classification was officially introduced in 1972 with the W116 S-Class, which succeeded previous Mercedes-Benz models dating to the mid-1950s...
. The front got a massive chrome grille with four round headlamps looking like an Alfa Romeo Alfetta
Alfa Romeo Alfetta
Alfa Romeo GTV redirects here. For 916 series GTV see Alfa Romeo GTV & SpiderThe Alfa Romeo Alfetta is an Italian rear-wheel drive executive saloon car and fastback coupé produced from 1972 until 1987 by Alfa Romeo...
(third series), while the rear lamps were provided by Peugeot (505 sedan)
Peugeot 505
The Peugeot 505 is a large family car produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot from 1979 to 1992 in Sochaux, France. The 505 was Peugeot's last rear-wheel drive car...
. It was announced in 1982 for a price of 185.000 Swiss Francs, and badged as Monteverdi Tiara. It is not clear if there was serious production, particularly as the final design looked somewhat dated, being less aerodynamic looking, when compared to the Mercedes-Benz original.
Car production in Basel ended by 1984. The factory was converted into a museum, the Monteverdi Car Collection, which opened in 1985.
In 1992, Monteverdi tried to re-enter the car scene with the Monteverdi Hai 650 F1
Monteverdi Hai 650 F1
-History:In 1992 Monteverdi decided to re-enter the car scene. To achieve that he needed something stunning and capturing to cause a stir, such as the Monteverdi Hai 450 SS did back in 1970. The target was to create the ultimate supercar, and a true F1 car for the road. To accomplish that, the...
with no success,apparently two prototypes have been built, all residing in the Monteverdi Museum in Basel.
Formula One
In 1990, Monteverdi returned to his racing roots through his acquisition of the OnyxOnyx (racing team)
Onyx Grand Prix was a Formula One constructor from Britain that contested the 1989 and 1990 Formula One seasons before closing its doors midway through the 1990 season.- Pre-Formula One beginnings :...
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, which he renamed Monteverdi-Onyx for the 1990 season. The survived only until the tenth race of the sixteen-race season before closing down.
List of models
- Monteverdi Special (1950-1952)
- MBM Tourismo (1961-1962)
- Monteverdi High SpeedMonteverdi High SpeedThe Monteverdi High Speed was a grand tourer automobile built by Monteverdi in Basel, Switzerland from 1967 to 1970. Contemporary rivals included the British Jensen Interceptor....
375S (1967) - Monteverdi High SpeedMonteverdi High SpeedThe Monteverdi High Speed was a grand tourer automobile built by Monteverdi in Basel, Switzerland from 1967 to 1970. Contemporary rivals included the British Jensen Interceptor....
375L (1969) - Monteverdi High SpeedMonteverdi High SpeedThe Monteverdi High Speed was a grand tourer automobile built by Monteverdi in Basel, Switzerland from 1967 to 1970. Contemporary rivals included the British Jensen Interceptor....
375C (1970) - Monteverdi High SpeedMonteverdi High SpeedThe Monteverdi High Speed was a grand tourer automobile built by Monteverdi in Basel, Switzerland from 1967 to 1970. Contemporary rivals included the British Jensen Interceptor....
375/4 (1970) - Monteverdi 2000 GTI (1969)
- Monteverdi Hai 450 SS (1970)
- Monteverdi Sierra (1977)
- Monteverdi SafariMonteverdi SafariThe Monteverdi Safari is a luxury SUV first presented by Peter Monteverdi in 1976. It entered into production in 1977.Despite the manufacturer’s tradition as a supercar manufacturer, the 1977 domestic market price of CHF 39,000 was only CHF 5,000 higher than that of the less well-appointed Range...
(1976) - Monteverdi Sahara (1978)
- Monteverdi Hai 650 F1Monteverdi Hai 650 F1-History:In 1992 Monteverdi decided to re-enter the car scene. To achieve that he needed something stunning and capturing to cause a stir, such as the Monteverdi Hai 450 SS did back in 1970. The target was to create the ultimate supercar, and a true F1 car for the road. To accomplish that, the...
(1992)