1970 Monteverdi High Speed 375L Coupé (more photos 👇)
Swiss BMW dealer and former racing driver Peter Monteverdi entered the GT car business after a falling out with Enzo Ferrari left him without a flagship product to sell.
His solution, a steel platform chassis with Carrozzeria Fissore coachwork and Chrysler V8 power, placed the 375L in direct competition with Ferrari, Maserati, and Aston Martin, at a price that rivaled or exceeded many of them depending on market and specification.
The 375L designation referred to the advertised SAE gross horsepower rating (375 hp) of the Chrysler 440 Magnum V8 used in early cars. Most 375L examples were powered by the 7.2-liter (440ci) Chrysler big-block, paired with either a four-speed manual or Chrysler TorqueFlite automatic.
Double-wishbone independent front suspension and a De Dion rear axle, with four-wheel disc brakes and power steering, gave the chassis genuine GT credentials to back up the American muscle. Period road tests recorded top speeds in the 145 to 150 mph range depending on gearing and specification.
The 375L replaced the earlier 375S 2+2 configuration in 1969, with the longer wheelbase accommodating improved rear seating. Bodies were built by Carrozzeria Fissore in Savigliano following the end of Monteverdi’s relationship with Pietro Frua, who had styled the earlier cars.
Total 375L production figures remain difficult to confirm, but most sources indicate roughly 60 to 70 examples were produced before the energy crisis and tightening emissions regulations brought the model’s run to a close in the mid-1970s.
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