MONTEVERDI

MONTEVERDI 

Company history began in the Swiss Monteverdi Bin ningene, where his father Peter (Peter) Monteverdi, Rozolino (Rosolino), engaged in automobile business. In 1951, when the young Monteverdi built his first car with an engine from FIAT Balilla ("Fiat Balilla"), his father has become a successful car dealer.
In 1956, Monteverdi, Sr. died, leaving a 22-year-old son of the company. Peter expanded the business by focusing on the race cars. Soon became the official dealer of Ferrari ("Ferrari") in the north-east Switzerland. In 1957 he started racing, the first time in cars Ferrari, and in 1959 founded his own team of Formula Junior ("Junior"). Cause of his company were all successful, and in the early 60s. He began to trade cars Rolls-Royce ("Rolls Royce"), BMW (BMW) and Lancia ("Lancia").


Car Hai 450SS, attractive and a bit reminiscent of Ferrari Dino, had the engine within the wheelbase, made ​​by hand and was very expensive. The volume of its sales will not affect the position of the main manufacturers of supercars
Like many ambitious entrepreneurs who Monteverdi eventually fell out with Enzo Ferrari and lost his right to be a dealer. Out of revenge, he decided to organize its own production, resulting in the car appeared Monteverdi GT. In contrast, Lamborghini, Peter could not raise qualified local professionals and produce engines and bodywork in Switzerland.
At a time when its cars assembled in Switzerland, the manufacturing process involved the transport of frames and bodies in trucks to northern Italy and back, while the engines, transmissions and chassis components imported into Binningen for final assembly.
Monteverdi was the first car in the 1967 fastback "375S", in which the index numbers indicate the engine power output Chrysler ("Chrysler"). As with all cars following, he had a solid frame construction by Peter Monteverdi. The first body was manufactured by Frua ("Frua"), but virtually all of their production vehicles produced firm Fissore ("Fissore") from Savigliano.


Monteverdi became swollen racing team ("Onyx") to participate in world championship of Formula 1, but it did not work. In the picture presented to the car design in 1991 by Alan Jenkins (Alan Jenkins) to the engine Cosworth DFR V8 ("Kosuort")
Frames are always cars manufactured in Switzerland and then transported to Italy, where they established a body hand and went on painting and final assembly in Switzerland. It was said that Peter Monteverdi himself had every car before delivery to the customer.
The next few years the name Monteverdi flourished, but due to handmade volume of no more than 60-80 cars a year. However, the program of the company were two cars layouts: front-wheel drive - coupe "375S", "375L 2 +2" convertible "375S" and a large limo, "375/4 Limousine" ("Limousine"), as well as engine within the database - double Hai 450SS ("Hi").
In the mid-70s. strong impact on the company paid a Monteverdi energy crisis, which led to a sharp rise in operating costs and lower demand. As a result, fast cars soon replaced the cargo-and passenger-wheel-drive model of Safari 4x4. Later, the company released its four-door version of the Range Rover ("Reyndzh-Rover"). In the mid-80s. brand disappeared from the automotive market completely.