Felber Automobiles

WH Felber Automobiles SA
legal form	Corporation
founding	1960s
resolution	1991
Seat	Morges , Switzerland

The WH Felber Automobiles SA (short name: Felber ) was a Swiss automobile manufacturer .

Company history

The company, based in Morges near Lausanne on Lake Geneva , was founded in the 1960s by the Swiss businessman Willy Felber . Felber initially operated a successful agency for expensive car brands such as Rolls-Royce and Ferrari under the name "Haute Performance Morges" .

In 1974, at the customer's request, Felber presented his first self-constructed car, a classic-style roadster based on a Ferrari coupé . A whole series of other vehicles followed by 1984, with the focus of activities increasingly shifting. In addition to individual in-house designs, from the mid-1970s onwards, Felber was largely concerned with offering optically modified versions of various mass-produced vehicles. The vehicles were upgraded with largely unchanged bodywork, especially in the interior. Exceptions were the Excellence and Oasis models , which were also significantly modified externally.

During this time, Felber competed primarily with the Basel- based company Monteverdi . While Peter Monteverdi was able to realize a kind of series production, Felber limited himself to the production of unique items on behalf of customers or small series.

In the course of 1984 the production of vehicles by WH Felber Automobiles SA ended . The reason was essentially the stricter regulations on type approval in Switzerland and Europe, which made it difficult for small manufacturers such as Felber and Monteverdi to distribute individual models. In the period that followed, Felber dealt with the sale and service of imported brands as well as the restoration of third-party and own vehicles. The WH Felber Automobiles SA was finally liquidated and deleted from the commercial register in April 1991st Willy Felber died in December 2002.

Felber vehicles

Felber FF

Felber FF

The first Felber design was presented at the 1974 Geneva Motor Show . It was a roadster with a classic car look, the lines of which, according to its builder , should be based on the classic Ferrari 166 Spyder . In fact, the Felber FF was a very free interpretation of the original. It had classic elements such as free-standing wheels and attached headlights. The FF was based on the drive technology of the Ferrari 330 GTC and, with an unladen weight of just 1,000 kg, offered outstanding performance. In five years, a good dozen Felber FFs were produced and sold at a price of around 100,000 Swiss francs each. The British company Panther Westwinds took over the construction of the car ; At some exhibitions the vehicle was also shown at the Panther stand. One example was made by the Italian coachbuilder Michelotti. This was the cornerstone for a further collaboration between Michelotti and Felber.

In an article from the year 1977 for the Auto Zeitung , the racing driver Harald Ertl described the car as "feudal leisure time fun" and "purely for men".

Felber Lancia FF

A short time later, Felber transferred the concept of the FF to a smaller scale by using the technical basis of the Lancia Beta for another classic roadster . The Lancia FF was largely reminiscent of the design of the Felber FF based on Ferrari technology. The Lancia models were now built in the studio of Giovanni Michelotti in Turin .

Felber Lancia Fulvia Spyder Carrera Replica

The attempt to make a replica of the Lancia D24 Spider, which was used on the Carrera Panamericana in 1953/54, was presented at the 1975 Geneva Motor Show to be distinguished from the Lancia FF . Felber used a contemporary Lancia Fulvia 1.3 as a technical basis, which had a new body and a. received with round headlights. The car was only built once.

Felber FF Croisette

This is a modification of the Ferrari 400, which was converted into a station wagon (or a shooting break) in 1975. The conversion was made relatively inexpensive. The C-pillar of the coupé was retained; only the roof section was lengthened and additional window areas and a tailgate were installed. By painting the roof in white (compared to a vehicle body in dark blue), the impression of the lightness of the roof structure was cleverly achieved. The Felber Croisette probably remained a one-off.

Felber Ferrari 365 GTC / 4 Break

On the basis of the Ferrari 365 GTC / 4 , Felber manufactured a one-off shooting brake in 1975 . With the chassis and drive technology unchanged, the vehicle was given a completely new body based on a design by Giovanni Michelotti .

Felber Beach Car

The Beach Car presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 1976 was to a certain extent the fun version of a Ferrari. The two-seater car had neither a roof nor doors and transferred the concept of buggies to larger dimensions. The technical basis was a Ferrari 365 GTB / 4 Spyder (according to other sources: 365 GTC / 4), the chassis of which was taken over unchanged. It was a unique piece that was developed on behalf of a customer from the Middle East. Giovanni Michelotti took over the production of the vehicle in Turin.

Felber Excellence

Felber Excellence from 1979

The Felber Excellence was a sports car based on the contemporary Pontiac Firebird . Felber installed a vertical front section with two round and two rectangular headlights and a prominent, crest-shaped radiator grille, which was to become the trademark of Haute Performance Morges . Round taillights (from the Fiat 850 Spider) were installed at the rear ; the trunk lid was raised in the middle, which should take up the corresponding design of the bonnet. Various other modifications were made at the customer's request, for example the installation of laterally guided exhausts (so-called side pipes). In three years a total of 12 copies of the Excellence were built, most of them in closed form with a tight, vinyl-covered roof and notchback. In addition, a single version with a hatchback was produced, and a roadster was also offered, although this was only distributed in individual pieces.

Felber Pacha

With the Pacha presented in 1978, Felber took up the concept of boutique cars for the limousine market that Monteverdi had already used two years earlier with the Sierra model. The Pacha was based on the front-wheel drive Buick Skylark (the Buick version of the GM X-Body) and was provided by Felber with an independent, angular and overall chunky-looking front section, which had two broadband headlights and in turn the in-house grille. In the interior, luxurious changes were made according to customer requirements. The Pacha was available in two- and four-door versions.

An advertising brochure from 1979 promised "discreet luxury in perfect craftsmanship" ("une voiture de luxe discret, la finition artisanale"); the pacha is "proof of good taste".

A total of 35 copies were built. individual vehicles still exist in Switzerland; In 2005 a metallic brown colored car was put up for sale.

Felber Oasis

The most common vehicle from Felber is the Oasis off-road vehicle. This is an off-road vehicle that entered the luxury off-road vehicle market prepared by the Range Rover and then by Monteverdi with the Safari . Like Monteverdi's Safari, the Oasis was not entirely self-made. Instead, Felber also used the technical basis of the International Harvester Scout II, a widespread American off-road vehicle with undemanding technology and compact dimensions by American standards. Unlike Monteverdi, Felber did not replace the entire body of the harvester. Rather, the chassis and structure were retained, only the front section was changed in a sensational way. For example, Felber installed an allegedly aerodynamically designed front mask that sloped forward and also covered the front bumper. The main modifications took place under the sheet metal. On the one hand, Felber lovingly and lavishly redesigned the interior with full leather trim, sports seats and technical gadgets; on the other hand, the customer was given almost free choice in terms of engine technology. Felber installed engines from Chevrolet and Chrysler , and in one case an eight-cylinder Rolls-Royce is reported. After International Harvester had stopped production of the Scout II, Felber continued his concept for a while on the basis of the (smaller) Chevrolet Blazer S10 under the name Oasis Mk. II, before giving up off-road vehicle sales in 1984.

Unlike the Monteverdi Safari, the Felber Oasis was not a vehicle for series production. Basically, they were one-off pieces that were produced on customer request and implemented the respective specifications as individually as possible. With this concept, distribution had to be limited from the start. Willy Felber was aware of this and it also met his objectives. A total of about 50 oasis were created, most of them were sold in the Arab region and the Middle East.

Further processing of individual vehicles

In addition to the production of the vehicles mentioned, Felber also dealt to a larger extent with the refinement of European and sometimes American makes. Felber was neither brand nor class bound here; the overview below shows that Felber treated cars of various origins and sizes. Here he apparently reacted individually to customer requests.

• The Felber Lancia was a modification of the Lancia Beta with a gently sloping front section and pop-up headlights. The design should be traced back to Giovanni Michelotti . The vehicle was produced in several copies.
• The Felber Rubis was a refined version of the Autobianchi A112, which received a black vinyl roof and extensive luxury equipment. The type of processing corresponded to a concept that the British bodywork company Wood & Pickett had applied to some models of the British Leyland Mini shortly before .
• Felber pursued the same concept with the Roberta model , which was based on the first version of the Lancia Delta . In contrast to the Rubis, the in-house radiator grille was installed here.
• The Felber Golf Spezial was a refined version of the Volkswagen Golf. In addition, the Audi 80 (B2) has also been refined in individual copies . The Felber-Audi was called "Illustre".
• In 1983, Felber finally dealt with the American Chrysler Imperial Coupé, which remained unchanged on the outside, but underwent a significant upgrade in the interior. This should be a unique piece.
• The last sign of life is a refined Maserati Shamal with wild boar leather seats and ostrich leather applications from 1991.

literature

• Automobil Revue , annual catalogs 1974 to 1984.
• Auto catalog , Motorpresse Stuttgart, annual catalogs 1975 to 1984
• "Europe's Alpine Sport Trucks", in: Pick-Ups, Vans & 4 WD, August 1979. Report on the Felber Oasis (Mk. 1) and comparison with Monteverdi Safari.
• Ernest Schmid: Swiss Cars, Autojahr / Edita SA, Lausanne 1978.
• Dieter Günther, Rob de la Rive Box and Max Stoop: Schweizer Automobile, Auto Vision Verlag, ISBN 3-9802766-2-7

Web links

Commons : Felber  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Swiss Car Register (German)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Swiss Automobile ISBN 3-9802766-2-7 , Panther Cars (Bodo Möhrke)