Logo of Monteverdi

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. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Luxury vehicle is a marketing term for a vehicle that provides luxury &mdash that which is beyond strict necessity &mdash in exchange for increased cost to the buyer Peter Monteverdi (b June 7 1934 in Binningen, Switzerland, d July 4 1998) was a Swiss automaker and creator of the automobile Binningen is a municipality in the district of Arlesheim in the canton of Basel-Country in Switzerland. "Basilia" redirects here For the Fly Genus, see Basilia (fly.

History

During the late 1950s and early 1960s Monteverdi built, sold and raced a number of "specials" 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. Ferrari SpA is an Italian Sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy ( BMW) (Bavarian Motor Works is an independent German automobile manufacturer founded in 1916 Lancia Automobiles SpA is an Italian Automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in

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 International Motor Show or Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA is the world's largest Motor show. The car used a heavy and simple steel frame provided by Stahlbau Muttenz GmbH with an aluminium body designed by Pietro Frua. Pietro Frua ( May 2, 1913 - June 28, 1983) was one of the leading Italian coachbuilders and car designers during the 1950s and 1960s It looked quite similar to other Frua creations of that time, particularly the Maserati Mistral Coupé and the British AC 428. 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 The AC Frua or AC 428 is a British GT car of the 1960s and early 1970s There are rumours that all the three shared some details like windows etc. The elegant looking car was powered by a 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. Chrysler LLC is an American Automobile manufacturer that has been producing Automobiles since 1925 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. The Triumph TR6 (1969&ndash76 was a British six-cylinder Sports car and the best-seller of the TR range built by Triumph when production ended This car is said to be the rarest Monteverdi, only two being made.

Monteverdi Safari: the vehicle's International Scout origins are hidden very well.

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 wagons. A station wagon (or simply wagon) in American, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand usage and an estate car (or just estate 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 Scout, changed the grill and tuned up the interior. The second model was the Safari. In this case, Monteverdi also used an International Scout but most of the bodywork was changed, once again designed by Fissore. In addition to standard International Scout 5. 7 Litre V8 there was an option to install 7. 2 Litre 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. The Dodge Aspen, produced from 1976 to 1980 was a Compact car from Chrysler Corporation 's Dodge division its Plymouth - branded 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. The Fiat 130 is a large Executive car manufactured by the Italian Automaker Fiat, available as saloon and Coupé. Fenders, bumpers, grill and some smaller parts were modified: headlamps were taken from Fiat 125, rear lights came from Renault 12. The Fiat 125 is a Large family car introduced by Fiat in 1967 The Renault 12 was a small family car produced by French automaker Renault between 1969 and 1980 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. The Dodge Diplomat was a Mid-size car and it was manufactured from 1977 to 1989 by the Chrysler Corporation 's Dodge brand and practically identical 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. The Dodge Aspen, produced from 1976 to 1980 was a Compact car from Chrysler Corporation 's Dodge division its Plymouth - branded This time, it was the new Mercedes S-Class (W 126). The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a series of the largest Sedans produced by Mercedes-Benz, a division of Daimler AG. 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). The Peugeot 505 was an Executive car produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot from 1979 to 1992 in Sochaux, France It was announced in 1982 for a price of 185. Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) 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.

Formula One

In 1990, Monteverdi returned to his racing roots through acquisition of the Onyx Formula 1 team, renamed Monteverdi-Onyx for the 1990 season. Onyx was a motor racing team and later Formula One constructor from Britain, founded by Mike Earle and Jo Chamberlain They survived only until the 10th race of the 16-race season before closing.

List of models

• Monteverdi Special (1950-1952)
• Monteverdi Tourismo (1956-1960)
• Monteverdi High Speed 375S (1967)
• Monteverdi High Speed 375L (1969)
• Monteverdi High Speed 375C (1970)
• Monteverdi High Speed 375/4 (1970)
• Monteverdi 2000 GTI (1969)
• Monteverdi Hai 450 (1970)
• Monteverdi Sierra (1977)
• Monteverdi Safari (1976)
• Monteverdi Sahara (1978)

See also

• Pietro Frua
• Peter Monteverdi

External links

• Photographs, history and general information of Monteverdi cars