Chassis Number: 1003
During the 1960s, American V8 power was seen by independent European manufacturers as a means of creating a luxury Grand Tourer to compete with the more exotic offerings of long-established firms like Ferrari, Maserati and Aston Martin. AC, Jensen, Facel and Iso, among others, all went down this route, as did Swiss BMW dealer Peter Monteverdi, who used Chrysler engines and transmissions for his sports and GT cars. Launched in 1967, the first of these was the High Speed 375S, a 2-seater coupe featuring a body styled by Pietro Frua. The latter built the first bodies before production switched to Carrozzeria Fissore in 1969. Monteverdi’s tubular spaceframe chassis employed double-wishbone independent front suspension and a De Dion rear axle, and customers could choose between 7.0-liter (375 horsepower) and 7.2-liter (450 hp) Hemi V8s, either of which was good for 150-mph-plus performance. Interior appointments were first class, and the whole car possessed an aura of opulence. Production of Monteverdi’s hand-built and supremely well-equipped cars continued in limited numbers until the mid-1970s, when the energy crisis and U.S. federal auto legislation effectively killed the Monteverdi sports car. By the time production ceased, only 16 examples of the High Speed 375S had been completed: 10 bodied by Frua and six by Fissore. The 7.2-liter High Speed 375S model equipped with automatic transmission, chassis number 1003, was delivered on June 2, 1969, to the official importer Anselmo (Royal Simca Inc.) of Washington, D.C. The car was originally yellow with a black leather interior. Before then (in March ’69) it had been displayed on the Monteverdi stand at the 39th Salon de l’Automobile in Geneva, and following its arrival in the U.S. in April ’69, had been exhibited at the 13th New York International Auto Show. The first owner was one R. Low of New York, followed by George Davenport, also of New York. On April 1, 1972, the car was sold to another owner, believed to be Jim Craig of Zenith Wire Wheels in Campbell, CA. In 1989 the car was purchased by Ron Ciardella. The next known owner was Aston Marshall of San Diego, CA, in 1992. The body and paintwork were then restored, and the car refinished in metallic blue. Mr. Bruce D. Milner of Los Angeles, CA, was the next owner, and while the car was in his possession, the engine bay and underbody were restored (in 2003). The Monteverdi was exhibited at the 17th Concorso Italiano at the Black Horse Golf Club, Seaside, CA, in August 2003. Accompanying documentation is limited to a copy of a Middle East registration document dated 2012, which is when it is believed the car was acquired by the current owner. On static display since acquisition, this rare and exciting 1960s supercar will require recommissioning before returning to the road.
