My Car Quest

December 11, 2024

Monteverdi Hai 450 SS – The Purple Shark

by Mike – 

Peter Monteverdi founded Automobiles Monteverdi Ltd. in 1967 in Basel, Switzerland. Of the many models produced by Monteverdi the Hai 450 SS is the most sought after and the rarest.

Monteverdi Hai 450 SS

The Hai 450 SS prototype was intended to compete with leading sports cars such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati. It was introduced at the 1970 Geneva Auto Show.

Monteverdi Hai 450 SS

Monteverdi Hai 450 SS

A Chrysler 425.6 cid V8 positioned behind the driver powered the Hai. The beautiful body was styled by Trevor Fiore, of Carozzeria Fissore. Top speed is 180 MPH and zero to 60 MPH takes only 4.9 seconds.

Monteverdi Hai 450 SS

Monteverdi Hai 450 SS

A second Hai was made with a longer wheelbase and minor cosmetic detail changes and was named the Hai 450 GTS.

Monteverdi had planned to make forty-nine examples of the Hai, but production was not continued after the two prototypes were made probably because of the high cost of this car. The list price was $26,000 which was a lot of money in 1970.

Monteverdi Hai 450 SS

Many years later two replicas were made from spare parts.

Monteverdi ceased car production in 1984 and the factory was converted into a museum in 1985.

Monteverdi Hai 450 SS

Monteverdi Hai 450 SS

Hai means shark in German and the color was called Purple Smoke both fitting names for such a terrific car.

Monteverdi Logo

Monteverdi Hai 450 SS

Comments

  1. Vasileios Papaidis says

    Dear Mike

    The name of this Chassis is TNT 101
    This is the original prototype, which toured the major shows in 1970 and 1971. It was sold to Karl-Heinz Schuberth in December of 1971. It subsequently changed hands several times before it was acquired by American Norbert McNamara. He had the car restored at Fissore and repainted gold before having it shipped to the United States. Some ten years later it found a new custodian, who set about restoring the Hai 450 SS to its original condition. In this guise it is seen here during the 2006 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. For the first time in almost 20 years, the unique prototype was offered again, during Bonhams’ 2010 Retromobile auction. The only privately owned Hai was estimated to sell for €400,000 – 500,000 and eventually found an owner for €398,000.

  2. Vasileios,

    Thank you for this information. One of those pictures was taken by me at Pebble Beach in 2006.

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