Monteverdi Hai 450 SS History

Peter Monteverdi unveiled the Hai 450 SS ('hai' is German for shark) at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show as his direct answer to the Lamborghini Miura and Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona. The shark-shaped two-seat body was designed and built by Carrozzeria Fissore; beneath it sat a mid-mounted 6,974 cc (425 cu in) Chrysler V8 fitted with Hemi heads and twin four-barrel carburettors, rated at 450 hp at 5,000 rpm — the highest-output Chrysler V8 available at the time.

The chassis was a steel tube structure with a de Dion rear axle (shared with the High Speed 375), and a ZF five-speed transaxle drove the rear wheels. Monteverdi claimed 0–100 km/h in 4.8 seconds and a 289 km/h top speed; road tester Paul Frère recorded a more modest but still impressive 0–100 km/h in 6.9 seconds and a 270 km/h maximum. Monteverdi planned to produce 49 cars, but the astronomical price deterred every potential buyer and no production examples were completed. The prototype survives in the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne.