THIS is the 1976 Monteverdi HighSpeed 375L.

A handcrafted one off production sports coupe from swiss automaker Monteverdi which is powered by a Chrysler Magnum 440ci 7.2L V8 often crafted with Mopar parts and putting out around 375hp - hence the number following the name. In reality most engines far exceeded that quoted power figure even after accounting for SAE/DIN standards conversion.

The car was presented in 1968 and this particular sample was built in the final year 1976.

The cars of the second series of which this is one were built at the Carrozzeria Fissore in Savigliano.

The so called 'Fissore Models' all had this badge below the front side vent.

The car was built on a box frame of square tubes assembled in Switzerland and design was by Monteverdi. Since it's all hand-built the customer specifications were open ended and anything was possible in terms of individual appointments.

Passenger Side

Some models came with Burrani wire spoke wheels whereas this one has standard one piece forged aluminum wheels. The vent is functional and helps cooling the engine bay.

Front and rear 3/4 windows can be extended to the outside and the vent behind them airs out the interior.

Rear

The car in many ways had quite an 'ahead of its time' look when it was presented and still during the launch of the Fissore models in 1969. It woudn't be until well into the early 80s that such a sharp and boxy rear end and overall angled front and rear overhangs became popular, yes I'm referring to Luthe era early to late 80s BMWs specificially the E24, E34 and E30 which sported aggressive angles in front and very sharp and boxy shapes in the rear.

Remember the people complaining about the sharp edge on the rear deck of the C7 Corvette (only visible without a rear wing installed)? This was it's older cousin. At the same time the rear clearly foreshadows many Ferraris and Lamborghinis who would adapt this look later in the decade.

What a beauty!

1976...

Driver's side

This shot very nicely shows the elongated overall design language stretching and extending towards the rear 'hatch back' that so many classic coupes and GT cars feature to this day.

The car is very low overall and is quite a bit smaller than it appears on pictures.

Note the characteristic panel gap and chrome accent irregularities due to its hand-built nature. Also the mirror you see here is the only one installed as passenger side mirrors were not mandatory back in the day.

Note the mile wide storage 'table' between the dashboard and shifter - times were good in the 70s. Today you're lucky enough to find enough space for your phone somewhere in the center console which is cramped full of touchpads and buttons but no storage space. At the same time pedestrian and side impact regulations and airbags have made doors and rooflines protrude heavily into the cabin massively reducing cabin width per passenger. This is even noticable between more recent 90s cars and their contemporary counterparts post 2011.

The lower chrome accent is actually clipped and screwed onto the rocker panel.

Full on shot of the front left wheel with era specific Yokohama tires - epic!

Frontend

Well, what's there to say? Taking a tour down to the Cote d'Azur in this should have been a charm.

The edgy style of the front chrome wraparound is one of the most noticeable differences between the early Frua models and this late Fissore model.

Looking at it from this angle actually foreshadows a bit of the 70s Chevrolet Impala and some later Ford models.

Note the beautiful mesh-wire covers over the turn signals.

So this is the 1976 Monteverdi HighSpeed 375L in Azur-blu-metalizatto.

Say goodbye!