Monteverdi High Speed 375/4

Quick, name a Swiss auto manufacturer. Anyone? No? Well, this is the first (but won’t be the last) Swiss vehicle we’re featuring on Cars You’ve Never Seen.

Monteverdi High Speed 375/4

Peter Monteverdi was a Swiss auto dealer who began manufacturing vehicles under his own name in 1967. His first model was a coupé, the 375S. Soon thereafter, and sharing the same powertrain, the saloon-bodied 375/4 was launched.

Hand-built in Binningen, Switzerland, styled by Frua, and featuring a 7.2L Chrysler engine, the 375/4 and its two-door stablemates developed 375hp. Interiors were crafted to a very high standard.

Designed to compete with other high-performance luxury sedans like the Maserati Quattroporte, the 375/4 never sold in appreciable numbers. By the mid-1970s, Monteverdi had changed its focus to building luxury off-road vehicles. As regulations became tighter, it became more and more difficult for small-volume manufacturers to create unique vehicles. As such, Monteverdi began simply modifying existing vehicles, such as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. By 1984, Monteverdi had ceased building cars, although various attempts at rebooting the brand have occurred since then. The original factory is now a Monteverdi museum.

Images courtesy BDM Classic Cars.