Team-BHP - View Single Post

v12 · 28th March 2004, 15:54

Peter Monteverdi with the Hai 450

Peter Monteverdi was born in Binningen, a suburb of Basel on the Franco-Swiss border on 17th June 1934. His father ran a garage specializing in truck repairs. Surrounded by mexhanical things as a child, he was obsessed with cars, inseparable from his Dinky toys and pedal car and , as teenager, earned pocket money at a local tractor factory. At 17 he built his own car. Special, using a Fiat 1100 saloon and a homemade chassis. It had shades of Ferrari 166 and Healey Silverstone.

Monteverdi SPECIAL

After his father died in 1956, Monteverdi took over the truck repair business. He had very little interest in it and almost immediately he diversified into sportscars tuning and repairs. He built his own sportscar MBM - Monteverdi Basel Motors.

He then went on to build the first and only Swiss Formula 1 car. It boasted a factory tuned Porsche RSK engine in a modified BMW FJ body/chassis, and the MBM F1 entered in the few GPs in 1960-61, where Monteverdi himself drove to a 2nd place at Mont Vedrun in 1960.

MBM Formula 1 car

A nasty accident in 1961 at Hockenhiem in his F1 car left him seriously injured. That ended his racing career. Monteverdi was also doing a roaring trade selling Lancia cars and making racing cars.

Once in 1954, Monteverdi was in Modena and he met Enzo Ferrari. Enzo asked him what he did and Monteverdi said he had a small garage and was a racing driver. Enzo then asked him if he would be interested in selling his cars in Switzerland. Monteverdi agreed and became the first Ferrari concessionaire in Switzerland at just 21 years and remained the Swiss imported for 12 years.

The arrangement added to Monteverdi's prestige and turnover, but in 1964 it ended abruptly. Enzo insisted that he buy 100 cars at a time and pay for them in advance. Monteverdi wasnt prepared to do that. So Enzo said that he would find another importer. It wasnt fair but Enzo did it. Thats when Monteverdi decided to build his own car.

It took him 2 years to design and build the first prototype of the Monteverdi 375S. "It was intended to be different from a Ferrari, to offer everything Ferrari didnt. A Ferraris is a young mans car, but no young man can afford it, only older people. And older people wanted things like automatic transmission. But Enzo refused to give them the option." says Monteverdi.

The 375S had a 7.2 litre Chrysler V8 pumping out 375 bhp through a Torqueflite auto or a 4-speed manual. It was one of the most handsome cars to debut at the 1967 Frankfurt show: a long lithe GT with near perfect proportions.

Monteverdi 375S

Then came the mid-engined Hai of 1970. This car was indeed so extravagant that only 2 were made. The few outsiders who drove the Hai declared it indeed superb looking and powerful car - brtually powered, in fact, as they frightened themselves on ill-judged bends with 7.2 litres of Chrysler "Hemi" throbbing and rumbling just a few inches over their shoulders.

Monteverdi Hai 450 SS/GTS

In 1984, Monteverdi gave a last try with the Hai 650 a 500 bhp supercar that topped 335 kmph.

Monteverdi Hai 650

28th March 2004, 15:54	#2 (permalink)
v12 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 3,838	Peter Monteverdi with the Hai 450 Peter Monteverdi was born in Binningen, a suburb of Basel on the Franco-Swiss border on 17th June 1934. His father ran a garage specializing in truck repairs. Surrounded by mexhanical things as a child, he was obsessed with cars, inseparable from his Dinky toys and pedal car and , as teenager, earned pocket money at a local tractor factory. At 17 he built his own car. Special, using a Fiat 1100 saloon and a homemade chassis. It had shades of Ferrari 166 and Healey Silverstone. Monteverdi SPECIAL After his father died in 1956, Monteverdi took over the truck repair business. He had very little interest in it and almost immediately he diversified into sportscars tuning and repairs. He built his own sportscar MBM - Monteverdi Basel Motors. He then went on to build the first and only Swiss Formula 1 car. It boasted a factory tuned Porsche RSK engine in a modified BMW FJ body/chassis, and the MBM F1 entered in the few GPs in 1960-61, where Monteverdi himself drove to a 2nd place at Mont Vedrun in 1960. MBM Formula 1 car A nasty accident in 1961 at Hockenhiem in his F1 car left him seriously injured. That ended his racing career. Monteverdi was also doing a roaring trade selling Lancia cars and making racing cars. Once in 1954, Monteverdi was in Modena and he met Enzo Ferrari. Enzo asked him what he did and Monteverdi said he had a small garage and was a racing driver. Enzo then asked him if he would be interested in selling his cars in Switzerland. Monteverdi agreed and became the first Ferrari concessionaire in Switzerland at just 21 years and remained the Swiss imported for 12 years. The arrangement added to Monteverdi's prestige and turnover, but in 1964 it ended abruptly. Enzo insisted that he buy 100 cars at a time and pay for them in advance. Monteverdi wasnt prepared to do that. So Enzo said that he would find another importer. It wasnt fair but Enzo did it. Thats when Monteverdi decided to build his own car. It took him 2 years to design and build the first prototype of the Monteverdi 375S. "It was intended to be different from a Ferrari, to offer everything Ferrari didnt. A Ferraris is a young mans car, but no young man can afford it, only older people. And older people wanted things like automatic transmission. But Enzo refused to give them the option." says Monteverdi. The 375S had a 7.2 litre Chrysler V8 pumping out 375 bhp through a Torqueflite auto or a 4-speed manual. It was one of the most handsome cars to debut at the 1967 Frankfurt show: a long lithe GT with near perfect proportions. Monteverdi 375S Then came the mid-engined Hai of 1970. This car was indeed so extravagant that only 2 were made. The few outsiders who drove the Hai declared it indeed superb looking and powerful car - brtually powered, in fact, as they frightened themselves on ill-judged bends with 7.2 litres of Chrysler "Hemi" throbbing and rumbling just a few inches over their shoulders. Monteverdi Hai 450 SS/GTS In 1984, Monteverdi gave a last try with the Hai 650 a 500 bhp supercar that topped 335 kmph. Monteverdi Hai 650 __________________ Enfield Cafe Racer completed. Yamaha Cafe Racer started.