Monteverdi Safari
| Monteverdi | |
|---|---|
 Monteverdi Safari in Lenzerheide 1978
|
|
| safari | |
| Production period: | 1976-1982 |
| Class : | Off-road vehicle |
| Body versions : | Station wagon , convertible |
| Engines: |
Otto engines : 5.2–7.2 liters (118–224 kW) Diesel engine : 3.2 liters (70 kW) |
| Length: | 4560 mm |
| Width: | 1800 mm |
| Height: | 1760 mm |
| Wheelbase : | 2540 mm |
| Empty weight : | 2050 kg |
The Monteverdi Safari was an off-road vehicle from the Swiss car manufacturer Monteverdi , which was produced in large numbers between 1976 and 1982. A sister vehicle was the Monteverdi Sahara , which was only produced in individual copies. The Safari was Monteverdi's most successful model.
Development history
The trigger for the development of the Safari was the first oil crisis in the mid-1970s, as a result of which sales of large, expensive sports cars collapsed. This also applied to Monteverdi's High Speed 375 series , which had been in production since 1968 , of which a little more than 30 units were sold in 1974 and only 20 vehicles a year later. In 1974 and 1975, Monteverdi - like many other luxury vehicle manufacturers - found itself in a serious economic crisis that seriously questioned the company's very existence. With regard to these developments, Peter Monteverdi was of the opinion that his company could only survive if he succeeded in offering new, cheaper vehicles in the future and thus opening up a broader group of buyers. The idea of achieving this goal by expanding into the off-road vehicle market came to Monteverdi in view of the success of the British Range Rover , which had been on the market since 1970 and whose sales figures remained largely stable even during the oil crisis.
In 1974, Peter Monteverdi first looked at an off-road vehicle. For the Viennese International Harvester importer, he provided an International Harvester Scout with an upgraded interior and slightly alienated the vehicle from the outside. The model, which remained a one-off, had no external features in common with the later Safari. Through this project, however, Monteverdi became aware of the Scout, the compact dimensions of which roughly corresponded to those of the Range Rover and which for this reason alone was particularly attractive for the European market.
Peter Monteverdi developed the Safari in the course of 1975. He took up the basic concept of the Range Rover, the layout and dimensions of which he essentially adopted for his own off-road vehicle. Like this one, the Safari was a four-seater, two-door off-road vehicle with high-quality equipment and large engines. Peter Monteverdi did not hide the proximity of his Safari to the Range Rover. Rather, he flirted with it and claimed that the reason for the construction of the Safari was solely the ( per se correct) fact that British Leyland could not deliver the Range Rover with an automatic transmission.
The Safari used technical components from mass production to a far greater extent than the High Speed 375 series. As a result, the development and production costs could be significantly reduced, so that the sales price was also noticeably lower than the previous sports cars developed entirely by Monteverdi. Nonetheless, the safari was still an expensive car. In 1980 it was sold for 65,000 DM. It was thus on par with the Mercedes-Benz 500 SLC coupé and exceeded the price for a fully equipped Range Rover by 50 percent.
The vehicle
Monteverdi used the chassis and drive technology of the International Scout II for the Safari.
In 1975 Peter Monteverdi designed a frame made of square tubing on which the safari was to be built. The first sales brochure, which was issued on the occasion of the Geneva Motor Show in 1977, showed a picture of this in-house construction, combined with the information that Monteverdi's stable frame formed the technical basis of the new off-road vehicle. In fact, Monteverdi's chassis construction was not used in series production. Instead, Monteverdi took over the standard chassis of the International Scout II. The reasons for this decision are not clear. Some sources believe that Monteverdi was unable to find a company that was able to produce the required amount of chassis. Italian sources from the 1990s, on the other hand, report that for Peter Monteverdi the series production of his own chassis was simply too expensive; the use of the American standard construction was then much cheaper.
Other components from the International Scout were the rigid axles from the manufacturer Dana at the front and rear, suspended from leaf springs , the (switchable) all-wheel drive, the gearbox, the differential, the brakes and the servo-assisted steering.
The body of the Safari, on the other hand, was independent. According to his own statements, Peter Monteverdi designed the structure himself. It was a smooth-surfaced, European-style combination structure with two doors, for which numerous attachments from various large-scale manufacturers were adopted. The glazing and (split) tailgate came from the Range Rover, the headlights from the Fiat 125 T Spezial , the taillights from the Peugeot 504 Break , and the seats and parts of the bumpers came from BMW . The Safari was available as a security vehicle with (light) armor on request . It was available with two doors as standard, but a four-door model was also produced, which remained a one-off and is now in the Monteverdi Automobile Museum. Another unique piece was an open safari, which was equipped with a removable fabric top.
In the interior, Monteverdi attached great importance to sportiness and luxury. Sporty instrumentation and full equipment made the car attractive to wealthy customers. The sports seats were covered with synthetic leather as standard; Leather upholstery was available on request. Individual copies were equipped with additional components such as a dictation machine and television.
Monteverdi initially purchased the engines from Chrysler ; In the last years of production of the Safari, however, the standard engines from International Harvester were used.
- From 1976 to 1978 Chrysler offered a 5.2 liter eight-cylinder engine with an output of 116 kW (160 hp).
- Alternatively, a version of this engine with 116 kW (132 hp) increased to 5.9 liters was available from 1976 to 1977.
- From 1978 a 7.2-liter eight-cylinder engine with 224 kW (305 hp) could be ordered instead of the 5.9 liter engine. With it, the Safari was the most powerfully motorized European off-road vehicle and, as its weight was significantly lower than that of American competitors such as the Plymouth Trailduster or Chevrolet Blazer , the fastest off-road vehicle of its time. Of the 7.2 liter version, only seven were made. Most of them were sold to customers in the Middle East.
- From 1978, the 5.2 liter Chrysler engine was replaced by a 5.7 liter eight-cylinder engine from International Harvester, which had an output of 121 kW (165 hp) and, in Monteverdi's opinion, was better suited to off-road use than that of Chrysler. The maximum torque was almost 400 Nm.
- Finally, there are reports of a single piece with a 3.2-liter diesel engine from Nissan to have been fitted, the 70 kW (95 PS) gave. There is no evidence for this. What is certain is that a single Monteverdi Sahara was equipped with this diesel engine.
The vast majority of the safaris were equipped with an automatic transmission; only a few models left the factory with a manual transmission.
The production and market situation today
Peter Monteverdi had initially tried to have the safari in Switzerland set up by Saurer; however, this plan could not be implemented. Instead, the Italian body shop Fissore , which had already built Monteverdi's sports car, took over the production of the Safari. In order to ensure the production of larger quantities, Fissore had to significantly expand its facilities. Monteverdi helped with financial donations and in return took over considerable shares in the traditional bodywork company. At the latest with the start of production of the Safari, Fissore was de facto dependent on Monteverdi. The build quality was problematic. The safari was very susceptible to rust, which can be attributed on the one hand to the use of partly defective metal sheets and on the other hand to incomplete corrosion protection.
The Safari was Monteverdi's most successful model. It sold well in both Europe and the Middle East. A sale in the United States of America was not considered, however, because the safari did not comply with American safety regulations. The exact scope of production of the Safari is not known. Peter Monteverdi repeatedly spoke of about 3,000 copies; some sources put the production at "several hundred pieces". It is likely that overall production has reached (low) four-digit numbers.
Only a few vehicles are still operational today - 30 years after the end of production. There is at least one excellently preserved and approved model in the Rhineland.
Given the low availability, used car prices are difficult to map. In 2010, Olditax stated a price of 14,000 euros for a safari in good, unrestored condition. Significantly higher prices are charged for restored specimens.
Competitors' vehicles
The Monteverdi Safari was in a league of its own in the 1970s. The Range Rover was a good and successful car; he lacked the exclusivity of the Safari and the numerous options that Monteverdi customers had. Monteverdi only faced competition in Switzerland itself:
- Willy Felber in Morges on Lake Geneva took up Monteverdi's concept and built the Oasis model, also based on the International Harvester Scout. Unlike Monteverdi, Felber took over the body of the Scout largely unchanged and only installed a conspicuous wedge-shaped front section. The main changes took place under the sheet metal. Felber installed every engine desired by the customer - in one case also the eight-cylinder from a Rolls-Royce - and significantly upgraded the interior with expensive leather and various gimmicks. However, these vehicles were not intended for the quantities that Monteverdi wanted to achieve. Felber produced around 30 copies of the Oasis in five years.
- Even more exclusive were the off-road vehicles by Franco Sbarro , who had designed the eye-catching models Windhound (with two axles) and Windhawk (with three axles). They were unique pieces that were built on customer request.
- The German automobile manufacturer Bitter adopted Monteverdi's concept for the Bitter Blazer presented in 1976 , an off-road vehicle based on the Chevrolet Blazer , with a front section Europeanized by lighting units from the Opel Admiral B and modified interior fittings. The bitter blazer remained a unique piece.
Only later, after the production of the Safari had already ceased, other manufacturers also occupied the niche of the luxurious off-road vehicle.
literature
- Roger Gloor, Carl Wagner: Monteverdi - Development of a Swiss Brand , 1980 (out of print). Factory-supported chronicle of the Monteverdi brand
- Paolo Fissore: Carrozzeria Fissore , 1991. Presentation of the history of Carrozzeria Fissore taking into account the relationship with Monteverdi (Italian and English)
- Götz Leyrer: handicrafts . In: auto motor und sport. 13/1978. (Presentation of the Monteverdi program and short biography about Peter Monteverdi)
- auto catalog , years 1978 to 1982 (technical data and prices).
- What's a Monteverdi Safari? Presentation of the Safari in: Four Wheeler , Issue 4/1977 (engl.)
- Country nobility : Test Monteverdi Safari in auto motor und sport , issue 10/1977, p. 51 ff.
- Baseler Leckerli : Driving report Monteverdi Safari in auto motor und sport , issue 19/1980, p. 54 ff.
- The Swiss Paradox: Europe's Alpine Sports Trucks . Presentation of the Monteverdi Sahara and the Safari (as well as the Felber Oasis and the Sbarro Windhawk) in: Pick-Up, Van, 4WD , issue August 1980, p. 53 ff.
- Muddyverdi . Driving report on the Monteverdi Safari in: Motor Klassik Youngtimer Heft 3/2008, p. 80 ff.
Web links
- Private Monteverdi website
- Monteverdi car museum Binningen
- Sales brochure of a Monteverdi Safari from 1978
Individual evidence
- ↑ Gloor, Wagner. Monteverdi. P. 203 f.
- ↑ In the mid-1970s, several of Monteverdi's competitors failed: Iso Rivolta and Jensen each stopped production in 1975, and Aston Martin went through several bankruptcies during this time. Only Bristol survived, but had to reduce production to one to two dozen vehicles per year.
- ↑ See the history of the development of the Safari: Auto Motor und Sport, issue 19/1980, p. 54 ff.
- ↑ Auto Focus 2/1998, p. 64.
- ^ Illustration of the first Scout modified by Monteverdi at Gloor, Wagner: Monteverdi. P. 207.
- ↑ Auto Motor und Sport, issue 13/1978.
- ↑ Auto Catalog No. 23 (1979/80).
- ↑ Reproduction of the sales prospectus on the website www.lov2lxr8.no
- ↑ Gloor, Wagner: Monteverdi. P. 212. According to this source, Peter Monteverdi tried unsuccessfully to win over the Swiss truck manufacturer Saurer , his former training company, for this contract.
- ↑ Gloor, Wagner: Monteverdi. P. 210.
- ↑ Auto Catalog No. 22 (1978/79), p. 150.
- ↑ Auto Motor und Sport, Issue 10/1977.
- ↑ Gloor, Wagner: Monteverdi. P. 218.
- ↑ Auto Motor und Sport, issue 19/1980, p. 58.
- ↑ Gloor, Wagner: Monteverdi. P. 212.
- ↑ Auto Focus 2/1998, p. 64.
- ↑ Zink: Oldtimerkatalog No. 19 (2010), p. 218.
- ↑ Sales advertisement from 2007 , in which almost 60,000 Swiss francs are required for a restored safari.