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Monteverdi Museum

All photography work is copyrighted by the author & Monteverdi Automobiles AG please don't download and publish these pictures in the internet without my permission. Larger high quality pictures is available only for donators up on request! Vasileios Papaidis 2017 © All Rights Reserved

One of my dreams when I was a kid comes true,I was visit twice the Monteverdi car collection at Binningen Basel Switzerland.

On my first visit I had the honor to meet Peter Monteverdi and talk with him about his creations and about our passion! Magic moments I'll never forget! 

On three floors there are 4000 m2 with 70 Monteverdi cars and a model car exhibition with 11,000 exhibits. Only open for groups by appointment.



Peter Monteverdi was born in Binningen, where his father owned a small car repair shop, on June 7th, 1934. Even as a child whose favorite toy was a little pedal car, his enthusiasm for automobiles could be seen. Following his high school education, Peter Monteverdi worked as a volunteer in the

Vevey“-agricultural machine factory. He then began fis four-year apprenticeship as a mechanic in the Adolph Saurer truck factory in Arbon.

 

At the age of seventeen, Peter Monteverdi built his first car. Using the wreck of  a Fiat he constructed new body and frame for a sportscar: the Monteverdi Special.


In 1956, after his father‘s death, Peter Monteverdi took over the repair shop in Binningen. His reputation as a sportscar specialist spread rapidly and helped to boost his business. He acquired the Ferrari dealership which the Monteverdi Shop handled for eleven years, while adding to it dealerships from Lancia and other makes. From 1965-1975 Monteverdi was official BMW dealer.


In 1956, under the name MBM (Monteverdi Binningen Motors), Peter Monteverdi began designing and constructing racing cars. His first models, Formula Junior Cars, gained an excellent reputation and were sold in many countries. In 1961 he built Switzerland‘s first Formula 1 race car, thus winning international success. A GT and another sportscar were added to MBM‘s production and sold to enthusiasts throughout the world. By showing them at special exhibitions for race car construction, various MBM models became highly celebrated.


In 1961 production of MBM cars was temporarily halted. The existing shop was too small to house the repair shop and the construction part of the business and therefore had to be razed for a new building.

The one-man-shop now became an enterprise with many employees and work on a new car project continued. From 1966 on, work concentrated on an exclusive high-powered automobile. At the Frankfurt car show in fall 1967, the newly presented Monteverdi "high speed“ became an instant success. Once again, it was necessary to enlarge the shop and the production of new cars was housed in the new factory.


In 1982 Monteverdi car production was shut down. The building was converted into the Monteverdi Car Collection, a museum which opened ist doors in 1985. In the same year the Monteverdi Club was founded.


In 1990 Monteverdi started a Formula One comeback, after founding the Monteverdi-Onyx-Team. After some races those F1-cars were the basis for Peter Monteverdi‘s last creation, the Monteverdi hai 650 F1.

Photo Gallery

But who was Peter Monteverdi?

1959 Nurburgring 1000 Km7 June 1959

 

Nurburgring (D): Round 3, World Sports Car Championship 44 laps of a 14.174 mile/22.810 km circuit - 623.634 miles/1003.640 kms Weather: intermittent rain.

 

Peter Monteverdi (arrow) running to drive the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster and with his mate Karl Stangl won the 3rd place in his category (GT 3000).

Not bad for a racer without proffesional Mercedes-Benz support.

Sir Stirling Moss with Jack Fairman wins the race with 44 laps driving the Aston Martin DBR1(Sports 3000).

Peter Monteverdi race driver history

Between 1958 and 1961 Peter Monteverdi participated in some 80 automobile-racing events in Switzerland, Germany and Italy. These were mostly hillclimbs, closed-circuit-competitions and endurance races such as the "1000 Kilometers" at the Nürburgring.

In 1957 Peter Monteverdi drove in 12 events with his privately entered Ferrari. In 1959 he drove numerous times with a Renault Gordini, a Lotus Formula-2 monoposto and a Mercedes 300 SLR, driving to the checkered flag several times.As of 1960 Peter Monteverdi only raced cars of his own construction, several Formula-Junior monoposti designated as MBM for Monteverdi Binningen Motors as well as with Switzerland's first Formula-1 car. Following an unsuccessful entry in the Solitude Grand Prix during 1961 and a serious accident at the Hockenheimring he gave up his racing activities.Peter Monteverdi was 3 times race driver champion in Swiss at the late of 50s.

The good relations with Enzo help Peter for a good start in automotive construction.Peter was a very dominated personality and a very patriot,all his car models presented (at the first time) only in Geveva Motor Show and always covered with the flag of his country! It was designer,constructor,driver,even jet pilot! 

Ferrari Testa Rossa & VW Transporter (P.Monteverdi racing)

On his special Ferrari-Monteverdi 750 GT at 1958

Testing his Maserati 250F (1959)

On the wheel of his Ferrari Monza (1956)

The b/w pictures taken from the very rare

Monteverdi book.

 

A very rare collectible book about cars & life

of famous Peter Monteverdi.

Authors (Roger Gloor & C.L.Wagner (1980).

 

My book is #1856,the shirt is official Monteverdi and it was a gift from the great Peter to me,god bless you dear friend in paradise! Vasileios Papaidis

Some of my old photography work

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