The Chrysler-Powered Sports Car Meant To Spite Enzo Ferrari
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- Monteverdi Models Came With A Range Of Bodies
- The 375 L Featured Advanced Foundations
- The Many Variants Of The 375 High-Speed
While looking at technical specs is the main element taken into account when looking into a performance car, their halos are always heightened should they come with an awesome story as to why they were conceived. Tales like the Ford GT40 being commissioned purely to get back at Ferrari for throwing Ford's offer to purchase the company back in its face come to mind, the story providing the car with a little extra pedigree.
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Chrysler
Chrysler is the American subsidiary of the global automotive company Stellantis. Historically, Chrysler has been one of the 'Big Three' American automakers. It was founded in 1925 by Walter Chrysler and merged with Daimler-Benz in 1998; the company was called DaimlerChrysler until its Chrysler stake was sold off less than a decade later. Chrysler operated on its own until Fiat S.p.A acquired it in 2014. When Stellantis was formed in 2021 after the merger of FCA and PSA, Chrysler became a subsidiary. With only a few models on sale in the US at present, Chrysler is one of the handful of automakers still producing minivans, with its Pacifica lineup.
A forgotten sports car by the name of the Monteverdi 375 High Speed comes with a similar story attached to it, the vehicle penned purely to enact revenge on the great Enzo Ferrari. CarBuzz decided to look into the V8-powered weapon.
This piece explores the story of the Monteverdi 375 High Speed, a sports car built purely to take revenge on Enzo Ferrari. All technical data used was sourced from trusted providers, such as the vehicle manufacturer.
Enzo Ferrari Angered Peter Monteverdi So Much He Decided To Found His Own Company
Green 1973 Monteverdi 375 L
The story starts in 1967, when Ferrari salesman Peter Monteverdi was left infuriated by Ferrari founder and owner Enzo. Monteverdi was a competitive gent, having once been a racing driver before transitioning to a role as the main Ferrari importer for Switzerland. He essentially purchased vehicles directly from Ferrari, brought them into Switzerland, and then sold them on for a healthy profit.
The setup worked nicely for a few years, until Enzo Ferrari decided to switch things up in 1967. Ferrari decided to force Monteverdi to bulk-buy cars in groups of 100, rather than order them as and when they were needed. Alongside this, Monteverdi was ordered to pay for all 100 upfront, which required a huge amount of capital without a guarantee of how quickly he'd get his money back.
Enraged by Ferrari's effrontery, Monteverdi decided to jack in the Ferrari sales gig and produce his own vehicles instead. This was getting to be a common story by this point, with Lamborghini and Ford's GT40 program having both been established due to dear Enzo's lack of customer service skills. Wanting to develop high-powered sports cars that combined performance with luxury, Monteverdi soon began offering his very first model, the High Speed 375.
Monteverdi Models Came With A Range Of Bodies
The marque started out working with Italian designer Atelier Frua, who built all bodies for the 375 by hand. As Monteverdi wanted to produce more than 100 cars per year, more than Frua could manage, the collaboration ended in 1968. The job of simply switching suppliers didn't exactly work out either, as a lawsuit from Frua that accused Monteverdi of not paying royalties meant a new one had to be designed.
To do so, he struck up a partnership with another Italian design company called Fissore. The company made the bulk of the bodies until the 375 was culled in 1976. There were a few different versions of the 375, with one of the most usable being the 375 L, an elongated version of the standard coupe that provided its occupants with more cabin space.
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The 375 Looked Distinctly European, But Was Powered By American Muscle
Green 1973 Monteverdi 375 L grille
While the efforts of Frua and Fissore ensured Monteverdi's sports car looked like a sleek Italian sports car, the company went down a different road when it came to finding a powerplant for it. Rather than use a more compact V8 or larger V12 in the way of Ferrari or Lamborghini of the time, Monteverdi instead made a deal with American auto giant Chrysler. He borrowed the brand's huge 7.0-liter V8 for cheaper models, while the more powerful 7.2-liter Magnum V8 was utilized in later 375 Ls.
1969-1976 Monteverdi 375 L Specifications | |
|---|---|
Engine | 7.2L NA V8 |
Power | 370 hp |
Torque | 480 lb-ft |
0-60 mph | 6.0 seconds |
Top Speed | 155 mph |
Normally found under the hoods of muscle cars like the Dodge Charger and the Plymouth GTX, the mighty 440 Magnum afforded the 375 L a handy 370 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque, which was enough to allow it to even challenge some of the fastest supercars of the time. Able to sprint to 60 mph in just 6.0 seconds, the 375 L was only a couple of tenths slower to the benchmark than the mighty V12-powered Lamborghini Miura SV. Top speed was 155 mph.
Its ambitions of being a luxury car are signified by the sole gearbox option of a three-speed automatic transmission, while a limited-slip differential helps to transmit the V8s power to the road.
The 375 L Featured Advanced Foundations
Despite coming with a more grunt-and-go powerplant, all 375 Ls built also got some nifty foundations to utilize the power. Independent front suspension was used at the front, while the non-independent De Dion rear suspension layout helped reduce unsprung weight when compared to more popular live axle setups used at the time. A power-assisted disc braking system was also included, while a space-frame chassis was included to help provide the body with the stiffness it needed.
This sharpened up the 375 Ls handling on the road, making it feel better put together than the muscle cars the 440 Magnum normally found itself in.
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The 375 L Also Brought The Luxury
1973 Monteverdi 375 L dash view
Alongside the impressive performance, the 375 Ls cabin was also crafted to afford its occupants a comfortable stay. Due to the model's coachbuilt status, a range of colors and trims were available. Most 375 Ls came with wood trim, such as this 1973 example that was sold through Bring a Trailer in February 2025. This particular model went easier on the wood, with only its steering wheel being made from the material.
Sumptuous tan leather was used to coat the seats and center console, while color-keyed carpeting also came as part of the package. The dash was also coated in an Alcantara-style fabric, one that has proved immensely popular in the modern age, which helped give the cabin a sportier feel. A range of options was also available, with this particular 375 L coming with an eight-track audio system, air conditioning, and power windows.
As far as combining muscle and performance, the 375 L delivers in spades.
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A Sedan Version Was Also Available
Bronze 1974 Monteverdi 375 4
Should the 375 L not afford the practicality you wanted, despite its elongated body, then Monteverdi offered a handy alternative. Called the 375/4, this was a four-door sedan version of the standard model. Available with the 440 Magnum engine or the smaller 7.0-liter unit, the 375/4 was built to take on the Maserati Quattroporte's of the day. Monteverdi also hoped potential Rolls-Royce or Bentley buyers would be tempted by the superior performance of his sedan, which also offered a nice level of plushness.
The Many Variants Of The 375 High-Speed
- 1967-1968 375 S (Frua Body) - Standard coupe
- 1967-1976 375 L (Frua and Fissore Body) - Elongated version of standard coupe
- 1972-1976 375 Berlinetta (Fissore Body) - Convertible version of the standard coupe
- 1971-1976 375/4 (Fissore Body) - A four-door sedan version of the 375
With a 0-60 mph time of 6.9 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph, the 375/4 had the claws to get the job done. Like the coupe versions, the sedan came with generous levels of leather and wood adorning the interior, allowing its occupants to chill out with the background of a growling American V8. Due to being specially-made coach-built offerings, it's thought only around 30–35 examples were ever produced.
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Monteverdi continued to offer coach-built cars until 1982, when the company was shuttered. Once production of the 375 models ceased in 1976, the brand instead converted cars from other brands, such as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and the Range Rover, to create unique versions.
