Monaco’s Forgotten Supercar Heads to Auction After 35 YearsAutoweekNatalie NeffTue, September 22, 2026 at 6:28 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleMonaco's Forgotten Supercar Heads to AuctionBroad Arrow AuctionsOne of the rarest European supercars ever built is headed to auction next month, and you've likely never heard of it.Broad Arrow Auctions has consigned the first production example of the 1990 Monte Carlo Automotive (MCA) Centenaire for its Zoute Concours Auction in Belgium on October 9, where the ultra-rare supercar is expected to sell for between $1.05 million to $1.4 million (€900,000 and €1.2 million).How rare is it? MCA only ever built five examples.AdvertisementAdvertisementAlthough largely forgotten today, the Centenaire nonetheless hold a distinguished place in supercar history. It was actually the first road-going production car built around a carbon-fiber monocoque chassis, beating the famed McLaren F1 by several years, and long before carbon tubs became standard on modern exotic cars.Another distinction: It was the first supercar built in Monaco.Monte Carlo Automotive was founded in 1985 by former Formula 2 and CART driver Fulvio Maria Ballabio, who put together an impressive engineering team that included legendary Ferrari and Alfa Romeo engineer Carlo Chiti, former Alfa Romeo sporting director Pierluigi Corbari, Formula 1 engineer Marcel Zunnino, and former F1 driver and constructor Guglielmo Bellasi.Broad Arrow AuctionsThe project also got a little help from Lamborghini. All five Centenaires were powered by the Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole's 5.2-liter V12, which turned out 455 horsepower through a ZF six-speed manual transmission.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe example crossing the block at Broad Arrow is chassis EL0002, the very first car MCA completed. Originally, it was finished in ivory white with a red leather interior—Monaco's national colors—and though a production model, the folks at Broad Arrow say it served as the prototype for development, testing, and promotional duties before spending roughly a decade at Lamborghini's Sant'Agata factory.Lamborghini eventually gave the car back to Ballabio in the early 2000s, says the auction house.The Centenaire debuted in 1990 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Automobile Club de Monaco and was presented to Prince Albert II, giving the tiny principality its own homegrown supercar.MCA apparently did intend to go racing with the Centenaire. In 1991, MCA developed two competition versions intended for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Although the cars never made it to La Sarthe, reports from the period indicate the Centeniare was capable of hitting 220 mph (354 km/h) during testing on the Mulsanne Straight.Broad Arrow AuctionsThe auction car comes well documented, good for any prospective bidders. After being refinished blue for an appearance at the 2007 Retromobile show in Paris—where it shared display space with the one-off Lamborghini Pregunta concept—it was acquired by its current owner in France in 2014. A subsequent restoration returned the car to its original ivory-white finish while preserving its original red leather interior.AdvertisementAdvertisementCollectors of late have shown increasing interest in obscure, low-volume supercars from the 1980s and early 1990s. Cars such as the Jaguar XJ220, Bugatti EB110, Cizeta V16T, and Vector W8 have all seen renewed attention in recent years. Still, few can match the Centenaire's combination of rarity and technical significance.The MCA Centenaire will be offered for sale at Broad Arrow's Zoute Concours Auction in Knokke-Heist, Belgium, on October 9, 2026, in collaboration with Zoute Grand Prix Car Week.
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