This Extremely Rare MCA Centenaire Supercar Could Fetch $1.35 Million

In the world of exotic supercars, limited availability is a given. The Centenaire by Monte Carlo Automotive (MCA), though, is a benchmark in both rarity and obscurity. After all, the low-slung Lamborghini V-12-powered coupe, built between 1990 and 1992, was made by Monaco’s only-ever automobile manufacturer and was limited to just 16 examples.

Founded in 1985 by Fulvio Maria Ballabio—a former racer in Formula 2 and Le Mans—Monte Carlo Automotive built the Centenaire to, as the name implies, coincide with the 100th anniversary of Automobile Club de Monaco—organizer of the famed Monaco Grand Prix. The car was developed with the enthusiastic support of a young Prince Albert II, who had high expectations of it being the Principality’s homegrown supercar.

Now, the second of five original Centenaire prototypes, finished in its original Ivory White with a stunning red leather interior—Monaco’s national colors—is crossing the auction block at Broad Arrow‘s second annual Zoute Concours Auction in Knokke-Heist, Belgium, on October 9.

“In the global car-collecting hobby, it is becoming exceedingly rare to bring a car to market that is truly unknown to even the most discerning collector. The MCA Centenaire is such a car, exceptionally rare, yet so influential in the history of supercar development,” Jean-Louis Baldanza, consignment consultant for Broad Arrow Auctions, tells Robb Report.

Adding to the Centenaire’s supercar credentials was the lineup of Italian motorsport royalty that MCA founder Ballabio pulled together to develop the car. The operation was led by technical director Carlo Chiti, whose résumé included the design of the legendary Ferrari 156 Sharknose Formula 1 car. Then there was Alfa Romeo’s former sporting director, Perluigi Corbari, and former Formula 1 driver, constructor, and carbon-composite mastermind, Guglielmo Bellasi.

Ballabio and his team reportedly spent close to five years coming up with the lightweight carbon-fiber monocoque and incorporating Lamborghini’s 455 hp, 5.2-liter V-12. The engine was also used in the Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV. Unveiled in May of 1990, the Centenaire became the world’s first supercar to feature a carbon-composite chassis, beating the Jaguar XJR-15 road-going racer (which debuted that November) and the legendary McLaren F1, which wouldn’t appear until May 1992.

Ballabio himself is said to have penned the Centenaire’s polarizing, almost kit-car lines, with that bulbous rear end, high-mounted wing, stubby nose, and overly wide panel gaps. At around 158 inches long and 79 inches wide, the vehicle is roughly seven inches shorter and an inch wider than the Countach. At each corner are split-rim, polished-aluminum OZ Racing wheels.

Inside, the low-roof cabin comes with a sea of diamond-quilted leather in bright red, with tight-fitting bucket seats, racing seat belts, a Momo steering wheel, and Momo drilled-aluminum pedals. The dashboard features an array of Lamborghini-supplied Jaeger dials, including a speedometer that goes to 200 mph. The long, polished-aluminum gearshift operates the ZF six-speed manual gearbox. Sadly, the timing for the Centenaire’s launch could not have been worse. The early 1990s saw the market for supercars evaporate and production ended in 1992.

According to Broad Arrow’s Baldanza, this auction car was initially used for development, testing, and auto shows before being dispatched to Lamborghini’s museum in Sant’Agata Bolognese in 1992, where is stayed for the next 10 years. In the early 2000s, it was reportedly “retrieved” by Ballabio who, around 2007, had it repainted in a rich Alpine blue and displayed at that year’s Rétromobile classic car show in Paris.

Fast forward to 2014, and Ballabio sold the car to its current custodian, Cannes-based exotic-car specialist Autodrome, owned by well-known Lamborghini collectors and brothers, Claude, Michel, and Neldo Levy. Two years later, the car was dispatched to Parisian coachbuilder Établissements Lecoq to be repainted in its original Ivory White. The car’s red leather trim was also restored.

See Also

Four Seasons Just Unveiled a Second, More Exclusive 679-Foot Gigayacht

Baldanza says the car is heading to auction with under 1,600 kilometers (less than 994 miles) on the odometer, and includes a vast history file, including MCA correspondence, period photos of the car in the Lamborghini factory and at Rétromobile, and even a copy of the contract between Ballabio and Lamborghini for the supply of engines.

“This wild and pioneering car will appeal to any collector of the rarest of rare supercars. And with it will come a sure ticket to any renowned concours event, from Pebble Beach to Villa d’Este,” says Baldanza. When the car crosses the auction block, it is estimated to fetch between $1 million and $1.35 million.

Click here for more photos of the 1990 MCA Centenaire.