A Swiss Volkswagen named Monteverdi
11/16/2014
In 1979, 35 years ago, Peter Monteverdi made his big move. And, as usual, he announced this with a press release, which is reproduced here in full:
Will the Monteverdi become the Swiss Volkswagen?
When Peter Monteverdi created his first highly elegant high-speed coupé in 1966, the relevant press was thrilled. "At last," they cheered, "another Swiss passenger car!"
The fans were queuing up, but this was no "Volkswagen". The racy model with its sleek lines, 100% handcrafted, could only be afforded by those who had their money's worth.
Its much-admired successors, the saloons and cabriolets of the following years, are also among the most distinguished in the history of automotive engineering. And this has not changed to this day, even though the Monteverdis have also been in series production since 1975.
The first Monteverdi off-road vehicle, the Safari, which has been rolling mainly on the roads of foreign countries since 1976, does not deny its origins: its design and luxurious equipment were and remain classy despite its robustness and all-terrain four-wheel drive.
Last summer saw the addition of the Sahara off-road vehicle (pictured above), which Monteverdi believes can no longer be described as luxury.
It will be on display for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show from March 1 to 11 (1979). Anyone who wants to can see for themselves that this mountain- and desert-capable transporter of people and goods is on a par with most highly acclaimed limousines in terms of comfort.
But Peter Monteverdi had it in his head to make 1979 the year of surprises. He created the Monteverdi Military 230 M for a large Swiss consortium that had decided to produce off-road passenger cars in military and civilian versions - and he showed it to the world for the first time, also at this year's Motor Show.
Is this the Swiss Volkswagen? It certainly would be if Switzerland looked the way many a foreigner imagines the country from afar: mountainous, rough and bumpy through and through. In that case, almost every Swiss person would almost certainly opt for a Monteverdi off-road vehicle. All the more so because Monteverdi still builds the only Swiss passenger cars. And because they are not as expensive as one might think with a sideways glance at the hard franc."
As we know today, the story did not turn out as rosy as announced. The Monteverdi Sahara never made it into mass production, but the Monteverdi Safari, to which we have dedicated an extensive report , was probably produced in excess of 1000 vehicles. However, with the Monteverdi Military 230 M and its front-wheel-drive brother, Monteverdi passed all the Swiss Army's tests and was commissioned to build it. However, as his capacities were insufficient, he handed over production and the rights to Saurer, which discontinued passenger car production shortly afterwards. This sealed the end of the Swiss Volkswagen, which would of course always have remained an expensive piece of fun, and Swiss soldiers then drove Puch Gs instead of Monteverdi.
