Monteverdi (automobile)

The Automobile Monte Verdi AG is a former Swiss manufacturer of luxury automobiles, which was founded in 1967 by Peter Monteverdi and resided in Binningen. Mid -1980s presented Monteverdi production of cars a. 1990 operating Monteverdi briefly a Formula 1 racing team.

  • 4.1 MBM
  • 4.2 Onyx

History

During the late 1950s and early 1960s built, sold and drove Monteverdi various special models, while at the same time he built the car his father's workshop to a representation of brands Ferrari, BMW and Lancia. Monteverdi was at that time the youngest Ferrari dealers worldwide. Short term he also had the English brands Jensen, Rolls- Royce and Bentley in the offer.

As early as the 1950s began, Peter Monteverdi to construct vehicles. Primarily, these were to race cars. The first models that were unique pieces or limited dissemination learned, were sold under the name MBM. Apart from a handful of racing cars for Formula Junior ( and a derivative with respect to Formula 1 configuration) here is mainly a 1956 arisen closed coupe with a plastic body and Ford Motor mention that supposedly produced in small series and a Single piece as Barchetta was provided with OSCA engine to the side. Besides dressed Monteverdi 1958 a Ferrari Monza after removal of the factory body with a self-designed structure, a. The car remained a one-off. It existed until the 1990s; then it was restored from its British owner and received his initial Ferrari body.

1965 came to a rift between Monteverdi and Ferrari. Peter Monteverdi then decided to build a production of its own exclusive and luxury sports and touring cars. In the first sales brochures, the brand still MBM was called; shortly thereafter was - allegedly at the instigation of the chief editor of the Swiss Automobil Revue - certainly chosen the more prestigious name Monteverdi as company name.

Between 1967 and 1984 produced Monteverdi total of eight different types of vehicles, usually with various modifications, along with the work presented a series of studies and prototypes.

Monteverdi was the production of passenger cars in 1984, according to some sources in 1987. Although planned some more models in the following years and in some cases, prototypes were built - for example, an upgraded version of a Ford Granada II - no more vehicle production reached. The plant has been transformed into a museum, which opened in 1985, Monteverdi Car Collection in Binningen. Initially, the museum was next to some Monteverdi models other classics, including some Iso Rivolta Grifo. The latter, however, were sold around 1990, whereupon the Monteverdi Museum dealt exclusively with vehicles of its own brand. Peter Monteverdi bought in this time many of his cars back, and today can be found by each vehicle type, the Monteverdi has ever produced, at least one copy in the museum.

1990 Peter Monteverdi returned to the public by a short-term operational team in Formula 1. The technical remnants of these things were for one last car, the Monteverdi Hai 650 F1 used, a sports car with Formula 1 components and without street legal.

The Automobile Monte Verdi AG still exists as a company in Basel; Owner is Peter Monteverdi's longtime life companion Paul Berger. Since 2013 there are reports of a comeback of the brand. After Berger plans a new vehicle with the brand name Monteverdi, which will be presented on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the brand at the Geneva Motor Show 2017.

The vehicles

Monteverdi High Speed ​​375

With the models of the series Monteverdi High Speed ​​375 Peter Monteverdi took in the fall of 1967 on the production of his own sports car. Conceptually combined these vehicles American Drive technology - in this case of Chrysler - with Italian bodies, which were first designed by Pietro Frua, and later by Carrozzeria Fissore. Monteverdi offered various constructions; the program included coupes (375 L, 375 S and 375 Berlinetta with a short wheelbase ), convertibles (375 C, and Palm Beach ) and a sensational four-door sedan (375 /4).

The high-speed series was significant for Monteverdi. She established the company's reputation as a manufacturer of premium sports car, which still exists today.

What is the scope reached the production of the high-speed range, is unknown. Peter Monteverdi was never known real numbers. What is certain is that the coupe 375 L is the most widely produced model of the high-speed range. A certain spread also reached the Limousine 375/4, the production figures vary here 13 to 28 copies. All other models were only produced in small numbers, sometimes they stayed single pieces.

Monteverdi Hai 450

A special position took a two -seater mid-engine sports car Shark 450, which was built in two versions as Hai 450SS and as Hai 450 GTS. It is a hatchback coupe, which was equipped with an American eight-cylinder and made in the early 1970s with reports of breathtaking speed limits for attention. Overall, only two vehicles created:

  • The 1970 450 SS was presented (7.0 liter) engine fitted, the handed in about 425 hp after the usual in the U.S. SAE standard with an eight-cylinder engine from Chrysler 426 Street Hemi type. The car was redesigned several times in details to give the impression that it was different copies.
  • The presented in 1973 450 GTS had been extended by 50 mm. It was powered by a 440 Magnum engine from Chrysler (7.2 liters ).
  • In addition, originated in 1990 two working replicas that were not sold.

The Monteverdi Hai were seen isolated a loss. The expense for the development and construction of the car faced the lack of sales. Whether Monteverdi, however, had actually ever planned series production of the Shark, is doubtful. For this, the concept had been too hastily developed, and the whole car was too immature. It made a general impression of a beautiful, but unusable temporary. Probably it was Peter Monteverdi just a matter of maintaining the interest in the brand Monteverdi and the " as standard " produced coupe with an " eye-catcher". In this sense, the shark have served their purpose.

An indirect successor of the same name got the shark early 90s with the Hai 650 F1.

The SUV

At the time of the first oil crisis in the sale of heavy, thirsty sports cars abated. While competitors such as Iso Rivolta and Jensen stumbled, and ultimately failed, succeeded Peter Monteverdi to align his company entirely new and to save as the end of the late 1970s. From 1976 sat Monteverdi with a total of three different models to the relatively new concept of luxurious equipped SUV. These vehicles, which in turn joined American large -scale production technology with elegant Italian coachwork, sold brilliantly both in Europe and in the Middle East; they reached a total of a four-digit number. The SUV remained until 1982 in the program. The Monteverdi Safari was by far the most successful Monteverdi model, and the company earned very good money on the vehicles. The following models were developed:

Mont Verdi Sahara

The Monteverdi Sahara was a barely modified International Scout, wearing a new grille, improved interior and modified bumpers. The similarity to the starting vehicle was obvious. The Sahara has sold only a few copies.

Monteverdi Safari

Also, the Monteverdi Safari was based on the technique of International Scout; here the output vehicle was, however, alienated much more. The car was an independent body, which had been designed and manufactured by Fissore; Moreover, different engines were available.

Range Rover Monteverdi

In parallel with the production of the Safari models was found for Monteverdi soon the opportunity to produce real Range Rover.

Returning to a request from British Leyland Switzerland in 1976, Monteverdi developed a four-door version of the Range Rover, which debuted in Geneva in 1979 and was built over the next two years a total of 167 times by Monteverdi. Most copies were sold in Switzerland, some also went to the UK, two of which involved the British Royal Family. Starting in 1982, took over Rover production itself, Monteverdi left but to continue to participate through regular license payments to the success of the model in the coming years.

Monteverdi Sierra

Also on the passenger car sector continued Monteverdi, the concept of boutique cars around: In autumn 1976, the Monteverdi Sierra a medium-sized sedan with very discrete design was presented. In fact, it was at the Sierra to an intensely refined vehicle that was largely based on large -scale production technology. The donor car was unchanged on the whole; ultimately only details of the external design and interiors have been changed. Base vehicle of the Sierra was introduced in 1976 in America Dodge Aspen Plymouth Volare or its clone; Carrozzeria Fissore redesigned especially the front and the rear end. When driving a 5.2 liter eight-cylinder with four- carburetor Chrysler and a power of 160 hp or the 5.9 -liter version was used with about 185 hp, which was named in a prospectus as a " hot " version. The standard model was a four-door sedan, along with a convertible and a station wagon produced in single pieces.

The Sierra was produced from 1977 to 1982. The number of vehicles produced is not known; a Swiss body shop is that they have made ​​about 20 Sierras.

Monteverdi Tiara

The Tiara was the successor of the Sierra. It was based on the S- Class from Mercedes Benz, whose technical components including the passenger compartment and glazing Monteverdi took over unchanged. The car received a separate front and rear sections, which harmonized limited with the flowing lines of the output vehicle. When driving the big eight-cylinder engines from Mercedes- Benz with 3.8 liters and 5.0 liters of displacement served. Peter Monteverdi planned to be permitted to sell the tiara from her 1982 Mercedes dealer. However, a series production did not materialize. 1982 originated at least three exhibition vehicles; if more individual pieces were prepared, is not known.

Hai 650 F1

The Hai 650 F1 was taken as an indirect successor of the same model from the 70s to the market and presented in 1992 in Geneva. As with Monteverdi usual silent one about production figures, however, it may have been numbers in the single digits. The sports car used components of the Formula 1 racing car the Onyx Monteverdi teams. When driving a 3.5 liter eight-cylinder Cosworth great served with just under 477 kW ( 650 hp). Also, transmission and drivetrain were taken over, as did the majority of the chassis. The vehicle was not street legal in Europe.

Specifications:

  • Ford Cosworth Formula 1 V8 with 3.5 liters and 650 hp at 11.000/min
  • 6- speed manual transmission, mid-engine, rear-wheel drive
  • Weight about 850 kg

Performance:

  • 0-200 km / h in 8 seconds
  • Top speed: 335.0 km / h ( 208.2 mph)

Prototypes and small pieces

Monteverdi in motorsport

Monteverdi's roots lie in motorsport. Long before Peter Monteverdi began building their own road sports car, he worked on race cars. Between 1958 and 1990 there were two separate engagements Peter Monteverdi in motorsports, the temporally overlapped with the production of road vehicles. Unlike some competitors, such as de Tomaso Iso Rivolta or temporarily appeared in Formula 1 in 1970 and 1974 respectively, continued Monteverdi motorsport ie not as a sales-promoting instrument.

MBM

Monteverdi's first missions in the motorsports made ​​under the name of MBM, an abbreviation, which is commonly described as Monteverdi Binningen engine. Between 1958 and 1961 Peter Monteverdi constructed some small cars for Formula Junior, who used a tuned by Mantzel DKW engine. In some sources MBM is therefore interpreted as an abbreviation for Monteverdi Binningen Mantzel. Coronation of this development was the MBM Formula 1, a small racing cars of Formula 1 configuration, which used a Porsche engine. Peter Monteverdi drove him even with some hill climbs and at Solitude. The car was also reported for Peter Monteverdi and MBM for the Grand Prix of Germany 1961. Before the race, Monteverdi had an accident with this car hard, however, and he immediately withdrew from motorsport.

Onyx

1990 bought Peter Monteverdi together with the Swiss entrepreneur Karl Foitek founded in 1989 Formula 1 team Onyx Grand Prix, which was darauhin sometimes referred to as Monteverdi - Onyx or Onyx Monteverdi. The occasion was to give basically the concern, the previously failed at Brabham Foiteks son, Gregory Foitek, another chance as a driver in Formula 1. The established and experienced regular driver Stefan Johansson was released after two races for this purpose. The team had almost no sponsors. It survived in dire financial straits and was operated from the spring of 1990 mainly on mechanics from Peter Monteverdi's Car Museum. After the tenth of 16 races it did not occur to. Peter Monteverdi himself designed nor a Formula 1 model for the season 1991. The cars were indeed realized, but were no longer used. You are now in Monteverdi's Museum.

Sources and source location

The history of the brand Monteverdi is in many details remain unclear. This applies primarily to the production figures, but in addition also for details of the production processes and the relationships with other companies. To the cars and the brand has many myths that have been supported not least by Peter Monteverdi himself, or at least tolerated. The official history of the brand, the book " Monteverdi - The Evolution of a Swiss brand" by Roger Gloor and Carl Wagner, helps here are not always on; it is characterized as a factory-supported publication, at least in parts of the "official " image of the brand, which wanted to show Peter Monteverdi. Many publications in periodicals grab this information to non-critical and thus give details, which do not apply in every case.

  • Roger Gloor, Carl Wagner: " Monteverdi - The Evolution of a Swiss brand", 1980 ( out of print). Factory -assisted chronicle of the brand Monteverdi
  • Automobile review, catalog numbers 1968, 1969 and 1973 ( specifications )
  • Auto Motor und Sport: "Alpine Dream," Test of a Monteverdi High Speed ​​375 L in issue 12/1972 of 10 June 1972.
  • Auto Motor und Sport: " crafts ". Presentation of Monteverdi program and short biography of Peter Monteverdi in issue 13 / 1978.
  • Auto Motor und Sport: "Swiss Made", presentation of Monteverdi Sierra and driving report in issue 6/ 1977.
  • Auto Motor und Sport: "With the Monteverdi through the vineyards " trip report and impression of a ride with a Monteverdi High Speed ​​375 L in issue 25 / 1996.
  • Bernd Wieland: " Black - burner", presentation of a late black-painted Monteverdi High Speed ​​375/4 with numerous studio photographs and short, not always accurate in the detail of the model in history: Motor Klassik No 1/2003, pp. 52 ff.
  • Grand Opera. Portrait of the Swiss automobile brand Monteverdi with several studio photographs of the high-speed 375 Frua in: Auto Focus, Issue 2/1998, pp. 38 ff
  • Wolfgang Blaube: " Hai Live " Oldtimer Markt 2 /2006. Documentary about the Monteverdi Hai 450 SS
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