Switzerland's RARE Muscle Car In A Suit - The Monteverdi High Speed (375S, 375L & 375/4)
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- čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
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In this Rare Cars documentary, we go in depth into a super rare and largely forgotten GT car that was one mans dream car to build his entire life, the Monteverdi High Speed.
This big block 440 Chrysler powered sports car was beautiful, comfortable and wicked fast for the time, and yet so few people seem to know that this car ever existed.
Stay tuned to the end to find out all there is to know about the incredibly rare Monteverdi High Speed!
*Note, we are not historians. If you see an error in our research then please mention it in the comments!
For business inquiries or other inquiries, reach out to: rarecarsmedia@gmail.com - Auta a dopravní prostředky
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NOTE on production numbers: Monteverdi's are VERY hard to find actual production numbers for as Peter Monteverdi allegedly greatly inflated how many cars he said were produced. Between all the High Speeds somewhere between like 60 and 100 cars seems like the most accurate range that I could find!
Thunderbolt 406 and i would imagine a whole episode on the 427 sohc would be cool
Apparently he repainted show cars several times to make it look like they built more than they actually had at some point.
I feel like somebodys trying to start trouble on here. Smells like a bot. You know the ones that are constantly around these days that deliberately throw in comments to Stir up trouble
I have a copy of the early production chassis numbers some where. Production numbers are low. There is an update of the Monteverdi book and it contains production numbers. My copy is in German bit I am sure there is an English language version available.
It occurs to me that we owe Enzo mostly for inspiring others to make their own. By antagonising them. Some legacy
LOL it’s so true isn’t it. Lamborghini, Monteverdi, ATS and a few others as well!
😂
And where are they now? Lambo is thoroughly German, Monteverdi is long dead... meanwhile Ferrari continues on racing, winning LeMans, is still Italian and still desirable
@@stephenscholes4758piece of shite Porche have kicked the shite out of them at everything. Have they won Le Mans 19 times have the ever won the DAKAR on their first time out no never even attempted the Dakar. Ferrari are for posers.
@@stephenscholes4758 And for ages Ferrari is owned by FIAT. By the way Bizzarini built his car as well after he left Enzo. It's derivate the Iso Grifo is probably the prettiest car ever built.
What a beautiful car. Very similar in look to the first Aston Martin V8 built around the same time. It was a great time for car design.
My fathers boss ordered a 375 hi speed (dark blue) in the U.K. about 1972 I can still remember the sound of that big Chrysler V8 as a kid👌🏻😎
Must have made the Jensen Interceptor owners jealous 🤣
@@P_RO_ I wonder how they would have matched up at Santa Pod drag strip!
Finally something about the Swiss Monteverdis !!!
Yes!
This video was beautifully made. The story of the Monteverdi marque is an interesting one. Thank you.
Thank you for the compliment, glad you enjoyed it!
"De-Dee-on". That's how it's usually pronounced.
I wish we had as beautiful car's such as the Monteverdi and AC 428, built now.
Thank you for providing pronunciation!
Absolutely drop dead gorgeous vehicle that high speed was and still is in my opinion. But you’re right, if we’re talking about an almost fifty percent premium over a Daytona coupé it would be a hard sell for me but I think if funds allowed I’d have pulled the trigger considering how reliable and cheap parts were for the 440ci Chrysler engine. Anyway dreams of grandeur I suppose. Very informative video 😃👍🏼
Thanks for watching, and yeah at that pricepoint it would be a tough sell unless you were planning to modify it then I think the monteverdi would have been a great choice given the easy access to performance parts for the 440
@chrisdooley1184 Building cars is no diff than building anything else. Ferrari is tiny compared to GM but they dwarfed Monteverdi. Ultimately it all comes down to economies of scale. There is so much money in today's global economy that didn't exist back then..
@@rtflone Interesting point. Now that you think about it, McLaren likely would not have been successful then either.
Stunning looking car .
I agree I love the way they look!
As I live in Switzerland I have seen quite a few Monteverdis and I have even helped repairing a "Safari". The owner who bought it second hand said he only bought it as it was cheaper than a used Range Rover. When he overfilled the tank the gasoline destroyed the paint on the quarter panel. Monteverdis had quality problems. A friend stated: once a Monteverdi, never again a Monteverdi.
The main problem was the doubtful quality of the bodies. The models who were not aluminium rusted away in record time. Well Jay Leno has a good Monteverdi and he loves the car and says it is reliable.
These are beautiful. It would be a pleasure to Grand Tour through Europe (ir even better Australia - where i live) in one of these glorious machines
Life goal would be to do something like that!
@4:07 the Maserati mistrel 2 +2 same design by Pietro frua
4:11 iso grifo powerd by corvette v8s
Frua was a great designer!
Actually, the convertible versions of the AC 428 and the Maserati Mistral (Spyder) are even more similar than the coupés. Behind the door, the coupés are far less alike.
Love it. Thanks!
Still have the Matchbox Monteverde Hai from 1973. Jay Leno has a nice one in maroon, I think.
Best regards from Switzerland!!
Cheers from America! Thanks for watching!
Love all the videos on this channel but this one stands out since it's about a car I was previously unfamiliar with.
Glad you enjoyed it, this is a car lots of people don't know about so I wanted to do a video on it!
These things with a nice exhaust must sound so effin' good.
Great content, subscribed and cheers from Chile!
Look great and sound great, cheers!
Thank you for educating me never knew about these cars the designs timeless cheers from Atlantic Canada👍😎🇨🇦
@@Landon-si5xc why are you preaching to me on a car Channel there is a time and a place for everything this is not the time or place so please go away go comment on a religious Channel not a car Channel
Thank you for watching, cheers from the US!
I first learned of this car from Jay Leno. Gorgeous car. Echoes of Iso Griffo an Jensen
Don't forget Gordon-Keeble.
@@mescko Yes!
Beautiful car I remember as kid seeing one for the first time and falling in love with it 👌
For sure the first time I saw them I was like WOW
Thank you!
No, Thank you!
this car is a legend!! I'd love to see one in person one day.
I have seen a Monteverdi only once, at a classic car show. I remember the 440 was such a tight fit it looked like you had to pull the engine to replace the spark plugs. Beautiful car👍
You are correct, depending on the model, the mechanic needed to lift the engine or cut access panels to replace the spark plugs (according to a Swiss mechanic that has worked on them).
This is the sheet metal the Jessen Interceptor wishes it had.
I do think this looks better than thee Interceptor as well!
@@rarecars3336 Naw, I like the big ole piece of rear glass on the Interceptor...a la Avanti!
Beautiful car
Enzo pissed off lots of people
Yes he did lol!
There's an other brand like this named Bitter. They made cars like the Bitter CS. Rare indeed ! Maybe something for your next subject.
I remember those from the 1980s. Interesting designs.
I've never heard of Bitter! I will have to look into them thank you for sharing that!
@@rarecars3336 - Essentially rebodied Opels. I saw a few Bitter SC Coupes around London in the 1980s.
Neat, nicely constructed, understated - and that's just this video!😏
Even though I was wrong on the guess this week, thank you for this excellent presentation. 😊
My pleasure, thank you for watchin!
Makes me smile people who built cars to stick it to Enzo
Right!?
I’ve always rather liked Monteverdi, mainly because the designers at Fissoré also did the Trident which I own.
@Landon-si5xc what’s Allah got to do with Monteverdi and Trident?
Oh no way i did not know they did the Trident as well, thanks for sharing that!
The original TVR Trident prototypes yes @@rarecars3336
@Bezos-cp9gk ah, so you’re a loony, got it
Should do the IH Scout based vehicles....
Porsche had a similar problem of sparkplugs being really hard to change...so they had Bosch design some really expensive platinum tipped plugs that at the time cost $75.00 each compared to a couple of bucks and that cured the problem for long races like LeMans. Common today for plugs to last 100,000 miles with unleaded gas as that was the common failure in the day of lasting maybe 3500 miles per change as the lead would plate the insulator and start shorting out as you revved higher and into the next gear and your engine would start shooting ducks and youed be puzzled. Then a change of plugs and back in business.
Very pretty car. I remember an old Clarkson video callled Motorworld where he did a piece about Monteverdi.
I will have to watch that!
@@rarecars3336 this is old Clarkson way before the 3 idiots. He made a series of videos in the late 90's called Motorworld. The subject was car culture in UK, France, Italy, USA, Japan and... Switzerland of all places!
Everything about these cars is so beautiful. So exotic. So high-class.
Everything except the name. High Speed?? WTF?? That's the best they could come up with?
"Me like car. Me go fast. Me drive high speed!"
They should have just left it at Monteverdi and called it a day!
High speed green mountain...ally body iron pickup truck engine !!????😂
Well Monteverdi is the company name so I guess they had to choose a model name. I do get your point however as Ferrari currently produce a model called the ‘812 Superfast’.
@@Landon-si5xc I know Allah! He's the homosexual drag queen who picks up pennies with his ass cheeks! Yeah! I saw him working the corner last week! But if you want to "worship" him, I believe he charges an extra $10 for that! And it's $20 if you want Allah to "worship" you! Tell me. When you "entered" Islam, did he cry out in pain? I heard he's pretty new to that sort of thing! Anyway, sounds like you had a pretty good weekend! Thanks for stopping by to update us!
I agree they could have picked a cooler name, something more exotic
@@rarecars3336keep in mind that it sounds better and more exotic to non-native English speakers.
Since italians are mentioned so often in the video, it's probably worth noting that Monteverdi is an italian family name and the name of his father was italian too so I'm assuming he's from italian origin.
Not that it makes any difference, these cars are beautiful and the video is very nice!
Please remember that they speak Italian in parts of Switzerland and having an Italian name is not unusual.
@@Mike-br8zt I know they speak Italian, I didn't know they had Italian family names. But if the name is Italian then probably the origin is Italy...
Not that anything is wrong with Switzerland, I have friends there and respect the country.
ME: Thinking I'm an expert on foreign sports cars.
RARE CARS: Here's a little number you might not have heard of.
ME: Uhm.... Well,... Yeah, you're right. I have never heard of that gorgeous car.
ALSO ME: Loving this channel.
haha thanks for watching scott, glad you enjoyed it. People in the comments somehow always surprise me with cars I didn't know about!
If you haven't hear of it, check out the Trident mentioned above. Cool little car.
great story, well told, who needs a legacy, enjoy now!!
The one i like is the monterverdi 375/4
His mid engine car ran a 426 Hemi
Yes! Crazy car
No, a sub 6 secs claim is rediculous.The German magazine "auto motor und sport" tested a High speed 375 L with a 7.2-liter engine in the spring of 1972 and determined the following performance figures:
Top speed: 229.3 km/h
0-100 km/h: 8.2 seconds
The same engine likely made much less power in 72 than it initially did in 1969, hence the lower times they found for that model year.
@@rarecars3336 The factory specs were wrong or is there any evidence for that sub 6 secs claim?
@@brandneu6439 I am saying in the US market in 1969 vs 1972 the power outputs on the cars would have been different. In 1972 the engine that would have been in the High Speed in the US was rated at 280hp, vs 375hp in 1969 when some of the first High Speeds rolled off the line because of our BS emissions laws. With the 375hp one an 8.2 0-60 would be too slow honestly so my guess is they were using 72’ spec motors for the 1972 high speed when it was tested.
@@rarecars3336 Correct, 1972 was the first year that Nox emission standards began. What made it such a problem is that the creation of Nox is directly related to combustion temperature. The only effective way to reduce it (at the time) was to reduce Compression ratios. In the late 60's 10 or even 11:1 was not unknown on a factory engine. In 1972 compression ratios were severely cut across the board, in many cases clear down to 8.5:1. I've always found it interesting how most Europeans are unaware of the impact of emissions standards in the US since they were about 10 years behind in this regard. British cars in particular were terribly emasculated thanks to this. The last US-spec Triumph Spitfire developed 57 bhp from 1500cc. And I can assure you it was nothing we asked (or voted) for.
@@rarecars3336 The tested car was a European version with 375 hp (S.A.E.). That translates to about 275 hp. Combined to a three shift automatic 8 secs to 60mph is what you can expect.
an orange monteverdi hai was A matchbox toy car i had as A child little did I know how special it was.
The best design ever
Another great episode! But why you gotta show a POS small block Chevy (Can Hear Every Valve Yapping) instead of the all-mighty and all around greatest performance and luxury engine ever built, the Chrysler 440???
I noticed that too. Ain't that Chevy is bad, but both this car and it's engine are in an entirely different league and the Monteverdi deserves better and more accurate pics and reporting.
@@P_RO_ Let give our boy a pass on this one...
At least the Chebby was Orange🤷
@@douglascooper1987 Can Hear Every Valve Yapping...
4,000lbs! 😱 I own a 1972 Plymouth Road Runner with a "poked and stroked" 440 that is now 528ci and is making over 800hp in a car that only weighs 3,000lbs for drag racing!
Monteverdi also entered F1
Tes!
It has been rumored that some panels and glass were common to the Mistral, 428 and 375. The only Monte I've ever seen in the flesh was many years ago at a local Concours which was a 375/4.
Interesting video - thank you.
However, it would have been great to have also touched upon the Range Rover connection
Might end up doing a separate video on that!
Reminds me of a Jenson Interceptor...
Yeah, I once had a ride in a Jensen Interceptor followed immediately by a ride in a 375/4 and they felt similar even if one was far longer than the other.
If memory serves me right, it was the Sahara/Safari models that generated the largest production numbers. And yes, they rusted like crazy.
That is correct about the production numbers. Around 1,000 were built (Sahara/Safari).
What model is that red Alfa Romeo ?
1300 GTA Junior. A lightweigth version (aluminiumbody) of the 1300 GT Junior.
I own a regular GT Junior, and its a fun car to drive.
@@TheInstructor66 Thank you, do you happen to know the model of the other Alfa that appeared in the video ?
@@cmcm6676
Yes. Its Alfa Romeo 75.
Thank you for answering these for him!
I always wondered how manufacturers were not suing each other for their very close designs such as the ACE Frua and the High Speed. Not only that, how they can afford to hire on these high-end Italian design firms. Well, this episode answered that--the designer owns the design and is supposed to be paid a royalty on each car sold. Not too different from the very classic times of car building (think old school Bugatti) from the 1920s and 1930s when one would buy a chassis and choose from which designer the body would come from.
I understand there is a Monteverdi museum, connected to the family, somewhere in Switzerland; if they wanted to get back to manufacturing they could probably do what Shelby has done--make, or license, continuation cars. I could definitely see a market for the convertible, at least.
Jay Leno has one with a 440 Chrysler transmission and rear end
A bit like the Iso Grifo
Yes very similar!
8:40 immaculate color! How many more cars can you find that I have either not heard of or have forgotten about?
I'm going to have to disagree on console.I like it.Its like the precursor to the new massive console on the new SUVs(especially the Grand Wagoneer).Granted,those are 3 ton beasts,not sports cars.
Why showing Smallblock Chevy engine, when it has a Chrysler Bigblock?
375 S and 375 L are so hot
The nose looks a lot like the 2024 NASCAR Mustang Dark Horse.
Now that you mention it...
i,m kicking myself now I could have bought the 4 door limo version of the monteverdi high speed shown in the video for sale in australia for 45000 australian dollars in 1990
Was this the white one with a TV screen in the rear?
@@Mike-br8zt possibly white,yes definatly had the tv in the back its A long time ago my memory is A bit hazy ,I remember it was in unique cars magazine,I wonder what happened to it ,what A lost treasure
Unless said in jest, "competed competitively" is redundant. He either competed, or he drove competitively.
At 5:14 in your video you show a Blue 4 door driving at what appears to be a car show since the car has an award on its window. This use to be my car, I sold it to the current owner. Would you like me to prove it? Ha ha ha ha
This brand is all, but original. Deja vu. Jensen, Bristol, Iso, etc. etc. Famous Italian designer + American engine = Named brands. Believe or not, it is easy to be in business with expensive cars. Everytning is best or most expensive. Far much harder or complicated is design and make cheap and frugal good car. Cheap and good is very hard to score.
Its almost impossible for a small company to make a cheap good car because of their lack of ability to mass produce, there just is not enough profit margin built in!
I remember these from the 70s and their appearances in top trump playing cards here in the UK.
Is a 450 SS is the rarest of the rare
Jay leno has one.
That is how I initially learned about these awhile back!
Daytomaso😂😂😂
Maseratis for me thanks
The old maseratis are very pretty!
666th thumb for interesting car story.
Thank you for being like six hundred and sixty six!
I see DB5,280zx,alfa in front, or that wierd shark with the tiny mouth
W-E-I-R-D
There is a lot of different styling ques for sure, especially with the single round headlight version. But I can definitely see DBS in the 4 headlight version too!
Front looks excactly like Aston martin DBS from 70s and back is mix od DBS and Alfa. Not special design at all to me
It looks a bit like an early DBS one of the 6 cylinder ones in the front. I love the way this car looks personally
Sorry, what is a “coop”?
Traditionally, in car terms "coop", or coupe, means a 2 door hard top sedan type of car. They can also be related to convertibles, e.g. the convertible coupe. Hope this helps and take care.
@@david.m.304 oh, you meant coupé, which refers to cut, translated from French. The Frenchies introduced this shape in the 17’s century to a type of coach.
THAT rings a bell, the 17th century French coach statement. YOUR knowledge of history is seriously better than mine! Well done and thank you for refreshing my memory. All the best and take care.@@ratt669
There was nothing Swiss about the car; the design was Italian. Monteverdi himself was not so Swiss.
Peter Monteverdi was Swiss. His father was from Italy.
@@Mike-br8zt I did not intend to question his citizenship, but his cultural identity.
You left out a LOT...
I try to make my videos only about 10 minutes long so I unfortunately have to condense stories to make them fit that timeline!
Not a car for tall people…🤔
Man Enzo must have been an epic prick
Correction . The Italians know how to style a car
Why the glorification of American motors, V8's? They only make reasonable power because the are so large...420bhp from 6 litres is like a 140 bhp Cortina...big deal. Good for towing boats though
Yeah man, muscle cars had pick up truck brake's, biggest thing they had, engine's,why is the ally rover v8 so brilliant here but you lot disregarded it(Buick,crysler, fucknoze)bin in load's of successful cars,with disc brakes !!!!! 😮😂
@@cnoshoes7049 And as a result they are low-stressed and will rack up well over 100k miles with little more than oil changes. If you love to pay thousands for an engine-out service have at it, pal. And if you ever drive a big-block American muscle car you will become an addict to something that we are good at: *Torque*
@@mescko drums though,we love the ally block low stress rover v8 engines we nicked off you lot,165 bhp early one's,my father had a bullet proof tuned 'JE motor's 'race engine in a kit car'elva courier replica 'that he never even took the plug's out of,was indistructable 250bhp,bolted to a cosworth Sierra box and back axle,looked a little like a cobra
@@mescko Torque: for lazy, un-involved motoring
Enzo Ferrari was not a nice guy
No he was not!
@@rarecars3336 He didn't gain the moniker "Il Commendatore' for nothing.
What Enzo's ego cause somebody to get pissed off at him and want to kick his ass, how could that be?
LOL
Another failure , Hard to compare this to Ferrari ! monteverdi had a big ego and not enough $.
This car will be remembered forever, while cars that generated millions in profits will be forgotten.
Sadly from 2030 on all combustion cars including classics will be banned
from public streets in entire EU and Scandinavia :-( In Germany the
Green Peoples Party gave order to shorten fuel supply from 2025
on by reducing all conventional fuel stations to only one state operated central gas
station per city or county. Now they want to slow down all the gas station fuel
pumps from 20 litre per minute to 2 litre per minute...From 2027 on in
the EU certain car spare parts will be banned too....as exhaust systems,
turbo chargers and even some engine and gearbox oils...California and
New York will do the same from 2027 on.... So no investments should be
done in oil burning cars any longer....They even created a new kind of
crime here, called emissions and smoke crime :-(
No they’re not. Stop talking rubbish. (Comment reported to CZcams for misinformation).
You are wrong! Greens in Germany call it Schlabubvvo@@AtheistOrphan
The SALE of new cars with internal combustion engines will be stopped, not the possibility of owning a car with one in.
The EU, UK, and USA (where I am) are not the end-all of everything. We comprise but a small part of this world and there will be plenty of places not banning IC cars. Plus as long as there are car enthusiasts, there will be means to drive them in parades and at car shows, even if general use is limited. Those thinking we can all convert to EV's within the foreseeable future are going to find the reality too hard to handle.
FuckEm' !!
Looks like a Jensen Interceptor
A little bit!
I love how the Americans keep mispronouncing the word coupe. It is a French word and should have an accent above the 'e', as in résumé, fiancée, sauté and (ahem) coupé. A coop is what you keep chickens in, you idiots!
Coupe deVille - upper class type of car. Coop deVille, posh chicken house.
Do you Saute your food, or soot it?
Coop, as American as apple pie (invented in Britain).
I purposefully pronounce french words wrong cos it angers both the french and the british. Killing two birds with one stone.
Coupe.... Silent e. Simple. We learn this as kids.
@@lancerevell5979 I pronounce it with a silent c as well for maximum offense
We Know how to Pronounce JackAss🤡 Though. 👍
@@douglascooper1987 Of course you do, America is full of them 😂 👍