Monteverdi Sahara – Cult Classic, not Best Seller

Name a situation in which having a truck isn’t a good idea. Go on, we’ll wait… The only instance we can think of is if you’re trying to park in a particularly tight spot. But then you’re in a truck, so you can park anywhere, right? Them’s the rules. Whether it be moving house, taking a friend’s old fridge to the tip or simply cruising around feeling good and enjoying life, a truck is invariably going to be the right choice. The Americans figured this out decades ago and have fully embraced truck culture ever since, arguably making it a defining characteristic of the entire country. Here in the UK, however, we’re a little more reticent to get involved. Well, you can change all that by buying this rather special Monteverdi Sahara.

The what now? Yep, we get it. Not a lot of folk will have even heard of Monteverdi, let alone its V8-powered off-roader, the Sahara. As capable as it is, it’s hardly a Land Rover, Toyota Hilux or Ford F150 when it comes to the notoriety stakes, but then that’s because only a handful of them were ever made. Perfect fodder for this particular series then.

Before we get into the Sahara though, let us whisk you back to the mid-sixties. Swiss auto maker, racing driver and entrepreneur Peter Monteverdi had already established a successful career as a car salesman before venturing into the business of making his very own cars, a hobby that he had begun back in the early ’50s with the Monteverdi Special, a car based off of a crashed Fiat 100. He would then later take over his late father’s dealership, subsequently turning it into a successful luxury marque specialist handling sales of such high-end brands as Ferrari, Bentley, BMW and Rolls-Royce.

Hardly one to rest on his laurels, the audacious and often temperamental Monteverdi would continue to build his own cars (including an F1 racer believe it or not, although it never competed professionally), muscling in on the luxury car industry with a brazen confidence that almost bordered on arrogance. But in a move reminiscent of Ferruccio Lamborghini before him, it was a falling out with Enzo Ferrari that prompted Monteverdi to concentrate his efforts on creating a titular brand to rival the Italians.

Despite racing, importing and selling many of Ferrari’s creations, Enzo would call time on his professional relationship with Monteverdi, a move that the Swiss hot-head would consider a slight upon his character, the immediate result of which was the development of the Monteverdi High Speed 375S, a sublime combination of handbuilt Italian coachwork and American V8 muscle – akin to cars like the Iso Grifo and De Tomaso Mangusta – that debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1967.

Despite costing more than the rival Ferraris and Aston Martins of the time, orders were placed and Monteverdi was in business, again. He certainly had the acumen! Various other High Speed models were developed to augment the range, including convertibles and luxury saloons, and then in 1970 Monteverdi unveiled the Hai 450SS – a mid-engined sports car concept designed by Trevor Fiore at Carrozzeria Fissore, a coachbuilder that Monteverdi would enjoy a lasting relationship with. However, only four examples were ever made, two in period and two later continuation models built from spare parts and it sadly never went into production.

A couple of other cars followed but as has been the case with many an auto maker in the ’70s, especially low volume sports car manufacturers, the energy crisis had a huge impact on Monteverdi and the cars that it was producing. In order to survive Monteverdi had to change tack and so being the forward thinking fellow he was, began to concentrate on developing well-equipped, luxurious off-road SUVs after spotting a gap in the market for more refined versions of these typically utilitarian vehicles.

Monteverdi’s first effort was the Safari in 1976. Essentially it was a redesigned International Harvester Scout with help once again from Fissore rather than a brand new vehicle, but that didn’t prevent the Safari from becoming Monteverdi’s best selling model. Offered with either of the Scout’s original V8s or a Chrysler lump, as well as a host of luxury interior accoutrements, the Safari was designed to compete with the Range Rover and many considered it to be a cut above the burly Brit, not just in terms of options but also in the performance stakes, too.

The Sahara quickly followed two years later and although it too was based upon the proven mechanicals of the International Harvester, the body wasn’t a complete redesign this time, instead being more of a tarted up version of the two-door Scout with various bolt-on parts and it was marketed as a cheaper and less luxurious but still eminently capable V8-powered 4X4.

And that’s exactly what we have available via our auctions platform. One of only around 30 ever made and the only example in the UK, this 1979 Monteverdi Sahara is an incredibly rare machine. Best seller? Nowhere near. Cult classic? Absolutely! Known to the Monteverdi Owners Club and registered here in the UK in ’83 it has covered just over 16,000 miles since new and remains a bit of a unicorn.

Featuring a 7.2-litre V8, three-speed automatic gearbox and switchable hi-lo four-wheel drive there’s not a lot it can’t handle. It may not be concours but what it is is solid, mechanically sound and more importantly innately usable. This Monteverdi Sahara isn’t a car to be mollycoddled or left to age gracefully in a garage somewhere. This is a car to be driven and enjoyed. Get it bought and go and have some fun with it. Take it greenlaning. Get people talking at your local classic car meet. Failing that, surely you know someone that needs to dispose of some white goods in style…