As a swiss petrolhead I drove a few Monteverdi. They also made some pretty nice International/Harvester Scout interpretations called the Sahara and the Safari. He also made one of the earliest and nicest 4door Range Rover conversions. You can spot a red Safari sitting beside the grey Sierra at around 2min 30 in the video. If you want to really laugh another swiss company did some ummmm interesting "exotics" Felber. Check out the Felber Pasha and also the Excellence!

@GadgetyMV

7 ай бұрын

Not many have I can imagine. Which ones did you drive, and what were they like?

@seanbatiz6620

7 ай бұрын

I think that Monteverdi’s approach to restyling the IH Scout’s back then, will, over more time, prove to be much better than whatever in the heck VW’s styling/design team has up its sleeve, to do too IH Scout’s, soon! I suspect those VW Scout’s are going to look all bubbly and stupid looking, like the reiteration of the Ford Bronco’s! Eye sores, by comparison! Not to mention that them VW versions are bound to be priced at INSANE LEVELS, undoubtedly. My family, when I was growing up from the late 70’s thru early 80’s, had several frumpy, generally UGLY sedans, one being a ‘79 Aspen w/318. Can’t remember it ever having any stalling issues but, IT’S INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS POWER STEERING I’ll never forget! Barely sneeze and the dang car would ZING four lanes over, in either direction!! Power-wise, I recall that 318 doing just fine, for what that ugly/fugly sedan weighed.. was a sort of HEAVILY faded light blue color, even though at that time we had it, it couldn’t have been more than oh, 5 years old.

@lagonda77

7 ай бұрын

@@GadgetyMV Sorry for my late answer mate. I drove a 375 in my late 20's ... nearly 20 years ago. I remember it being a very large and heavy car. I guess it was a bit like an Espada series 1 and a Quattroporte III but not as sophisticated. Very comfy though. I also drove a Sierra and I remember it being close to an european Ford Granada 2.8. The Sahara, well it just gave me the feeling of a Scout with more sound proofing and a interior that was less agricultural. I always thought the Safari was better looking even though the tail lights from a Peugeot 504 station wagon seemed a bit cheap for such a car when I was a kid. The Fiat headlight were not as noticable... Good souvenirs I might be tempted by a Safari if a nice one pops up... but even here except in local auctions they rarely are for sale in good condition. They rust like hell sadly. Have a nice week-end

@GadgetyMV

7 ай бұрын

@@lagonda77 Thank you for sharing! 👍The Monteverdi museum closed "recently" and perhaps examples of the Safari from that collection will surface. I hope you find one.

@lagonda77

7 ай бұрын

@@GadgetyMV Yup saw that to. I feel really sad about that. Switzerland is losing one car museum after the other... I guess having such car phobic political authorities doesn't help either.

I had a ´78 Plymouth Volaré Coupe until 1991. It was very reliable and comfortable. I had the 6 cylinder and it even had a good mileage. Great car.

@brianm.6271

7 ай бұрын

One of the best engines Chrysler ever built. 👍

@michaeltutty1540

7 ай бұрын

Surprisingly, the 318 V8 was the better engine. It returned better gas mileage and much better power than the slant 6. In Canada the 318 was available with the 4bbl carburetor as an RPO. With dual exhaust it was over 200 HP and nearly 300 lb/ft of torque, and minus the catalytic converter. Made it a really lovely engine.

@Slider68

7 ай бұрын

I also had a 1978 Plymouth Volare wagon that we bought new and drove for over 800,000 km (500,000 miles). It had the "Super Six" (2-bbl 225 cu in 6-cylinder). Many of those miles were delivering pizza and courier packages. The engine, other than suffering from a rough idle for the first ~400,000 km due to sticky exhaust valves, was bullet proof. A close friend had a 1976 Plymouth Fury with the 318. By 300,000 km that 318 was a serious oil burner and got replaced with another 318. The 318 was a much nicer engine to drive, with its much better power, torque, throttle response and smoothness, but the slant 6 was much more durable.

@user-nm1mr4ir2b

5 ай бұрын

In 76 my father bought a new aspen wagon w the 225 and 4 spd overdrive on the floor. I remember how versatile that car was. We were a family of six so it fit the bill quite well. Never saw another floor shift version as everytime i saw one i would peer in to check pedal n trans arrangement.

That long lever on the dash is probably a headlight flasher. Interesting car; thanks for showing it.

This was my favorite video you ever made . I was very amused by your rendition of VOLARE !!! GREAT JOB !

Adam, your singing is much, much, much better than I could've done and I did enjoy it as well as learning about these beautiful Swiss cars!

I'm familiar with Monteverdi but never knew these existed. Pretty nice looking car. The most exotic car they made was the Hai, a mid engine 426 Hemi powered car. I think only 1 or 2 were built. On a trip to Norway and Sweden in 1991, I noticed several Aspens and Volares driving around and one of the taxis we rode in was a Volare.

I love Monteverdi's simple styling....so refreshing!

You’re a better singer than me! 😀👍

Love the singing... There is a old saying "you can put wipe cream on a poop, but you still have a poop.... Thanks to Adam for his time, work and posting.........

Most of the Aspen cars were wore out but I had a girl friend that had a four door, slant sixand a 4spd that she took care of. It was snappier in town than you would think. Not as quick as my Mercury Monarch which had a 302. I would take either car today.

You're quite a good singer! Please sing more.

@MarinCipollina

5 ай бұрын

Adam's voice is okay, but the song sucks.

+ 1 like for being brave enough to open your video with song. I wouldn’t have the nerve to. Good feature on the Monteverdi too. Who knew it had the bones of a Plymouth 😂

You’re a true renaissance man Adam. No limits to your talent. Gorgeous car especially for its time I think.

Really interesting! I did not know these cars existed. I like the exterior styling, but agree that the dash is….a bit uninspired. Having learned to drive in my mom’s 79 Aspen coupe, it was nice to learn this bit of history. Thanks Adam!

I think this is a very tasteful reinterpretation of the great Chrysler styling with a European flavor.

"Volare" was a huge record- charted by at least three singers in the states. I thought everybody knew this. Then it dawns on me that most of you weren't around then! Domenico Modugno- '58 Bobby Rydell- '60 Dean Martin- '60

@05gtdriver

7 ай бұрын

You forgot Newbomb Turk '65...😂

Very stylish redesign with minimal means, and still able to capture the "house look." There was even a station wagon version. Allegedly there were some supspension changes made compared to the Aspen/Volare as well.

Adam I ALWAYS hit the Like button for you sir. AND I always sing "Volare" when I see or hear of this vehicle. LOL

Adam. Firstly, I think your singing was pretty good! I like the Monteverdi interpretations of the Volare. Amazing how they could make something so mundane into something looking quite classy.

A college friend of mine in the early '90s had a _Vooolare~_ wagon, passed down from I believe his grandparents, and you better believe we all sang its name every time it came up. How are we going to get to the pizza place tonight? Let's take the _Vooolare~,_ and so forth. :)

Love your sense of humor and singing :) I vaguely remember the Monteverdi in car magazines from the past and always wondered about it. Glad to see you explained it. It looks like you're doing well if that is your new house that you're featuring in your recent videos.

The styling of the Monteverde Sierra is actually quite beautiful.

You should have sung the lyrics from Volare’ commercials, “…come drive Volare’ today, ride small the comfortable way.”

I remember as a boy having a Matchbox car: the Monteverdi Hai. Orange. I agree these cars are elegantly styled.

I've heard of these. Montiverdi also did the same basic thing to an IH Scout, bringing it upmarket. One of the guys from Cold war Mtrs. in Canada has a REEEALLY rusty one. Thanks for the video!

Swiss Bugle Horn Next, AW...🥝✔️Thanks for this great video. We grew up in New Zealand without a proper up to date F, M, and J body Valiant replacement. The Monteverdi Sierra was coil spring IFS, and had great styling. What Chrysler Australia should have made in Australia after the non through flow ventilation VH- VJ-VK- CM-CL Fuselage Era ( Error) 1971-1981 sedans failed to fire in the Australian and New Zealand showrooms during the late seventies..

I can't wait to hear your version of The Beach Boy's "Fun, Fun, Fun" and Bruce Springsteen's "Pink Cadillac". Thank you,

Move over, Dean Martin! LOVED your a capella vocal stylings, Adam, il tenor di Detroit. Very interesting story, thank you for sharing this very unique car with us. A pretty good looking one for the day.

The singing was a nice touch Adam.

I can't look at this car WITHOUT thinking about the "Volare" song sung by Sergio Franchi. This Monteverdi is rare; I never saw or even HEARD of one despite living in the EU for about a decade. Much nicer-looking than the domestic version.

As someone who loves customized and customizing cars. I love it. Looks like someone took a Volare and cut it up to make it different. Pretty good job too

Wow, we get a concert today!!! Adam, you have the voice of an angel!!!🙄 When I hear "Volare ' I think of the movie"The Hollywood Knights " where the character Neubaum Turk farts Volare instead of singing it!!! 😁

@05gtdriver

7 ай бұрын

To Newbomb Turk's credit, he does partially sing 'Volaré' before letting his rear end take over 😅

@christopherkraft1327

7 ай бұрын

@@05gtdriver True!!!

Even though Monteverdi went bankrupt in 1982, somehow there was a Monteverdi High Speed concept car in 1990. Have you ever heard of this concept version of the Chrysler 300? It was a stretched version of the 1992 Dodge Viper with four doors and a 8 liter V10 engine under hood.

I had a 77 Volare with the slant 6, it was bullet proof, I wish I still had it, I'd buy another in a heartbeat

I knew about this car AND the International Scouts, from when I was a kid. It's nice to see someone actually talk about it on video : )

The front end looks great. Looks like it’s on the move. The mash up of the front and windows is a good blend.

Dude. Your singing is magnificent

I also thought that you sung it very well!. As always, very enjoyable and educational video. Thanks Adam!

Adam, I mean this in the nicest possible way, don't quit your day job!!!!!!!! 🤣I was around when the Volare and Aspen made their debut. They are all exotic in my books. I would like to think the Dodge Aspen was named after the ubiquitous tree. 😁

@Jack_Stafford

7 ай бұрын

I was there too, and they were anything BUT exotic. Small, generic, Maverick copies, sub Nova in style , class and reliability/desirability Overall kind of pointless when a much nicer, smoother "big-mid" sized Fury/Monaco could be had for about the same money.

@rightlanehog3151

7 ай бұрын

@@Jack_Stafford I took my drivers ed course in a new and well equipped 1980 Aspen Coupe. Compared to the clapped-out, bare-bones '73 Duster my family had at the time, it seemed pretty exotic.

@MarinCipollina

5 ай бұрын

@@Jack_Stafford You could buy a 1975 Pontiac Trans Am for the same money in 1977..

My friend had a 1980 Aspen and we had a set of Chrysler sport rims. That car looked good with those rims on it. It wasvan a/c car with a slant 6.

Those are gorgeous! He should have designed for Chrysler. All they are missing are the fender-mounted turn signal indicators, which I LOVE! My grandmother has a 1978 Chrysler LeBaron Medallion sedan which was built off of the Volare'/Aspen platform. That car was beautiful, Tapestry Red Metallic/Tapestry Red Cloth Split Bench interior with all the options. The Power Window switches shown in the Monteverdi Sierra are the same switches her LeBaron used. The only flaw was the removable painted gas cap instead of the flap used on the coupe. The car had a 318 V-8 and a three-speed Torqueflight automatic. I inherited the car when she passed in 2005, with 22,000 original miles and not a mark inside or out. The padded vinyl top was not faded, in perfect like new condition. I loved that car until it was totaled by a dump truck.

Adam, of all your videos, hearing you open with "Volare" (ala Dean Martin) made my morning!

I have heard that Switzerland charges a large import duty on imported cars BUT if the car is 40% made in Switzerland there is no import duty. This means the Monteverdi, with no duty payable, would be similar in price to a stock Volare with the import duty.

We finally get to enjoy Adam's dulcet tones....nice one!

@dalewilliams2063

7 ай бұрын

I thought he did quite well.

I didn't even know that these existed. I've heard of monteverde before but I never even knew about the montverde. Sierra and I really like the the rest of the front and the rear end and also that rear glass and I like the way they redid the dashboard. It all looks really good, although I don't know why they couldn't have gotten the 360 because those were available in some of the earlier police car versions

@Foxonian

7 ай бұрын

I believe the 360 was available in the police versions all the way up until 1980.

When my daughter was 17, our neighbor gave her a ‘79 Aspen that had sat for 6 years. We, (my daughter and I) worked and worked on it, finally breathing life into it. She drove it for several years, then sold it, but would see it on the road from time to time. It might still be alive.

I loved the surprise open of this video, Adam. I just started laughing. You're in tune, but you could use some breath control. 😂😂.

I loved the Monteverdi two doors, remember them well when they came out, but had no idea this existed! Thanks so much.

The Aspen and Volare did not use the articulated arm only the LeBaron, Diplomat/Gran Fury and Fifth Ave models used them. I guess it was to make the M-Bodies seem a bit more upmarket than the F-bodies.

Never even heard of the company until I saw it here on your channel. Cheers from Toronto.

"Come drive Volare today. Ride small the comfortable way. VO-LAR-E."

Great show Adam 😊 ! My parents owned a 76 Dodge Aspen sedan , the car had reliable mechanics and was fairly comfortable. We owned the Aspen for 11 years but the body was rusting badly we ended buying a 84 Pontiac Parisienne wagon which we owned for many years.

@mraudio

7 ай бұрын

Yeah, those first year F-Bodies were real rustbuckets

@kevincostello3856

7 ай бұрын

​@@mraudioHahaha, well put 😅😅😅😅

@LakeNipissing

7 ай бұрын

@@mraudio I still drive a 1976 Dodge Aspen 'Special Edition' 4 door. I have had it since 1987. Very solid. Still no surface rust on the underbody. I uploaded a video of the early Chrysler digital tuning radio in it a few years ago.

@andregonsalvez9244

7 ай бұрын

@@LakeNipissing wow cool, I really do miss my parents old 76 Aspen it was a dependable and roomy car. Lol keep on trucking with your Aspen.

@andregonsalvez9244

7 ай бұрын

@@mraudio True but the layer models seemed to fair better. I think a lot of cars back in the 70s had issues with rusting .

I had a quirky algebra teacher back in high school that had a Monteverdi!!! I'm the only one who knew what it was!!!

I would love too bring one of these to a All Mopar show and watch the reactions 😊

Your singing was iconic and so epic

Oh, hell, I'm remembering those TV commercials from back in the day.

@pcno2832

7 ай бұрын

The Aspen commercials, with the hat and cane, were even more, eh, memorable, but not necessarily in a good way.

@eyerollthereforeiam1709

7 ай бұрын

@@pcno2832 like so many things in the 70's.

Sitting in my garage as I watch this vid is a 1980 Volare with 33,000 original miles.

Thanks for this video! I drive a 1976 Dodge Aspen.

Very refreshing intro! ...and good use of inflection when you hit the highs..LOL. However, as I was enjoying your singing...I saw the green car😮

As a singer, you make a great car guy! 😀🤣

I remember hearing those Volare commercials on the radio in '76 or so!!! I also remember from around the same time: "Your Ford dealer's got something for you, something that you've got to see. Mavericks and Pintos and Mustang IIs, for great fuel economy!" And I hit the like, despite the singing!😆

Good singing, Adam 😊

Well done with the singing Adam. Merry Christmas 🎄😎🎶🎶

The third line in the commercial jingle version went "come drive Volare today. Drive small, the comfortable way. Volare! "

Those Aspen and Volare cars were indeed the most recalled cars in history at the time they were produced. Only Chrysler could take a reliable car like the Dart/Valiant and come up with the Aspen/Volare. They were also recalled due to rust and paint issues. EVERY 1976-77 model was recalled and it nearly bankrupted the company. As for the M-body, especially the Diplomat, it was the "Fiendishly Seductive" new car from Dodge; it was a take-off on Sherlock Holmes IIRC. The Monteverdi Sierra was quite similar to the Renault Torino; (NOT the Ford Torino) IIRC it was a Rambler Classic. GREAT VIDEO!

One of the most amazing of Peter Monteverdi's "makeovers" is his redesign of/on a w126 Mercedes Benz S class, the longer wheelbase w126 4door looks even better than the standard short wheelbase version, as his new front mudguards and bonnet look great, but best of all he elongated the boot/trunk length which gave the longer wheelbase car an enhanced appearance. As an American kid in Sydney, Australia in the 1960's and first of '70's I went to high school with a Swiss girl, her parents had a his and hers pair of Monteverdi's, a big 2 door 375L, and a huge 4 door 375/4. Move on a decade and GM Holden, Australia were redesigning their long wheelbase luxury car, the US/Canadian GM designer Leo Pruneau had near copied the Monti' 375/4 door then with his own take on a Rolls Royce Silver Spirit re-vamp added that as the new nose with rectangular headlights and a mimic RR grill, Leo stretched the roof to add a small 6th window after the rear door and forward of the rear roof pillar, and gave the giant Aussie WB series Holden Statesman Caprice "prettier" better integrated wider but slimline taillight clusters. Even the seat contouring and shaping is that of the Monti' 375/4 door in the big Holden. I would have loved to own a 4 door Monteverdi, however only 2 ever came to Australia, so my next best choice was to buy the copy a new WB Statesman Caprice in 1980, and I still own it, and still is like new. It's a very European car in its handling, breaking and general execution, with a very classy interior that goes above that of the older Monteverdi, and has some Cadillac Fleetwood overtones with the red/white door lights from a Cadillac and is equipped with 4 thronelike leather faced bucket seats. But best of all its equipped with the 308ci, 5 litre 275kw v8 which is compact, light and powerful, and won the Mt Panorama, Bathurst, NSW car race for decades. Park a WB series GM Holden Statesman next to a Monteverdi 4 door and you can clearly see that one has been copied from the other, particularly if seen lengthwise side on. And Adam, keep singing, you could have found a new vocation, your tone/tempo was good.

Nice touch with the singing Adam!!

Funny enough, I also hear the "Volare" song in my head whenever I see one of these cars. About the time this car came out my grandma replaced her trusty 1968 Plymouth Belvedere (318 with TorqueFlite) with a Valiant (slant-six and TorqueFlite) and it also had horrible stalling issues. I guess it just came with Mopar cars of the period.

nice looking car, and easy to service, great idea

My Dad used to sing this when I was a kid.. and I always thought he was singing 'OH LA DAY' and I was wrong lol. Cool video, a friend of mine had a Volare back in the day lol

Not bad voice and cars, eh Adam😀👏

Neat! I love seeing cars I never knew existed. Looks decent too.

Dam Adam singing... hilliarious. But I still love your knowledge of cars. Thanks Man... you made me laff!😆

Adam, while you were singing "Volare" somehow Kevin Kline's rendition of the song from "A Fish Called Wanda" came to mind. Keep the day job!

@kevincostello3856

7 ай бұрын

OMG, yes I remember that, Kevin Kline killed it with that character. Otto if I'm correct. Smelling his armpit when he got excited etc. 😅😅😅😅😅 thank you

Monteverdi Sierra is not so bad, and the Monteverdi 375 L, a great coupe with italian design, was one of the most beautiful car of all the times.

I had a 1982 Gran Fury with the 318, it was a former Michigan State Police car from Algonac, Michigan. If I'm not mistaken, the ELE 318 used 360 heads.

Chrysler should have bought the tooling for the body panels. That’s a beautiful car!

Those are the old Chrysler electric door buttons. That shift lever and knob was in the Cordoba. I think it did have the same HVAC controls as you showed from the Volare dash.

I love the Dean Martin cover! You do have a beautiful voice, that is very easy to listen to. No overbearing accent in particular… which I believe is a sign of elevated intelligence. Not to say having an accent makes you less intelligent, but the most intelligent people I have ever met do not have any accent. That being said. I’m glad I’m not alone in thinking of that song when I hear that model name! I wonder if it was a marketing thing? I can embrace the front of the car but I absolutely hate that penalty box Mack truck interior. I did not know this car existed until you told the world about it again; but I can assure you if in 1979 I was in the market for a new or late car this would be one of my last and only momentary considerations.

Hi adam your singing is terrible but a welcome change from your usual kinda mundane tone! I love your videos. As a western European its incredibly interesting to get a detailed view of these cars. Your observations are very intriguing. Keep em coming bud . And more singing yes!

As a singer you make an excellent car historian...

I remember in high school they had Volares for Driver’s Ed.

Love the intro, you're alright. Reminded me of the season 4, episode 4 of Columbo "Troubled Waters."

Sorry Adam, you missed the original lyrics... "Come drive Volare today, drive small the comfortable way, Voooolaaarrre....😅 This has been stuck in my head just like hold the pickle, hold the lettuce...

Singing? Great for Karaoke. Great car styling, thanks for the video!

I LOVED the singing! 👏

I love that song , nice one

Doing a one man wave for you. Thank you for your videos. Love from Canada

Funny intro! I'm never sure if I should sing the name more like Dean Martin or Bobby Rydell. Honestly, there's a Muzak version floating around from the mid-to-late 70s that would probably fit right in to a Volare TV ad or even sales training film. Had no idea this car existed, but it's certainly a fascinating footnote!

Loved the singing Adam 😉

00:54 - "The most recalled car in history..." When my grandparents' 1966 Chrysler Newport got wrecked they bought a new Plymouth Volare, and eventually started having severe problems with it. The only problem I actually remember was with the brakes. IIRC the brakes on one wheel had a chronic problem with locking up, to the point where one day it caught fire, though it didn't become a serious fire that I remember. Anyway, I had no idea these existed. They look quite nice.

I had a 1977 Premier Volare that was a massive bondo job from the rear doors back. Still, it was a decent car and was my first car with A/C.

You sing better than I can!

Not bad singing, Adam. Now if you could sing the song in Italian, then I would be impressed 😉. But the Monteverdi design is very impressive: clean and elegant. I can see it now cruising down the Autostrada del Sole A3 with a beautiful woman in the driver’s seat!

@OldDood

7 ай бұрын

You need 'The King of Cool' to sing it in Italian. *Dean Martin* ☺

Well done Adam

You made Domenico Modugno smile this time.

Front looks like a fiat 132 of the era.

I love that Volare song, I remember it most from an episode of Columbo. You sang it pretty good too!😁

Neat looking car that, on the exterior, hides its humble roots really well (although that instrument panel looks a bit rustic). Too bad that Monteverde didn't hook up with Chrysler to sell these in North America. Would have been a great "halo car" for Dodge and/or Plymouth, and maybe boosted the sales for both Monteverde and Chrysler at a time when they really needed it.

My father bought a 1977 Volare coupe. It had a slant 6, cardboard headliner and to save money they didn't include a cigarette lighter. The rear parcel shelf material turned to tissue paper with the sun. Front suspension became a perpetual motion machine of jiggling once you hit a bump. If anyone wants to save money and own this classic, skip the auctions, get a large AMz box, put 4 wheels on it and it'll be a perfect replica.