The ultimate italian coachbuilder site
The ultimate italian coachbuilder site
The Monteverdi Hai 450 SS was a prototype and follow on to the 375 High Speed build by Fissore. It was intended to be a direct competitor to the top of the list super sports cars of Lamborghini, Ferrari and Maserati.
The Monteverdi Hai 450 SS prototype debuted at the 1970 Geneva Auto Show. It had a 6,974-cubic-centimetre (425.6 cu in) V8 from Chrysler positioned behind the two front seats. It took its name from the output of the engine, and the German word for shark, Hai. The body was presumably designed by Trevor Fiore, of Carrozzeria Fissore, although some sources credit Pietro Frua. A second car was made with a longer wheelbase and minor detail changes like door handles and red bodywork. This car was named the Hai 450 GTS to mark the changes. Monteverdi initially planned to produce 49 units, but the production was halted after the two prototypes. In the 1990s, two additional Monteverdi Hai 450 SS replicas from spare parts were made, those now reside in the Verkehrshaus Museum in Luzern.
The De Tomaso Vallelunga was presented as a concept car at the Turin Motor Show in 1964. De Tomaso initially intended to sell the Vallelunga project to some other car group, primarily Ford. However, no car manufacturer was interested in the purchase, so De Tomaso decided to build the car at its own expense. Production of the model was then assigned to Ghia. The design was instead the work of the Fissore bodywork.
