Montecarlo Automobile Rascasse

Montecarlo Automobile (MCA) is a little known car manufacturer which has been around since 1983. As the name suggests they’re based in Monte Carlo. The company was founded by Fulvio Maria Ballabio, an engineer, racing driver and off shore boat racer. Since then they’ve created a small number of street legal supercars, including the MCA Centinaire, and its open top sibling the Beau Rivage, as well as several racing cars which have competed in various endurance racing series.

To mark the company’s 30th year, Montecarlo Automobile have created a brand new car called the Rascasse. The car was unveiled at the 2013 Autopromotec exhibition in Bologna, Italy. A suitable location seeing as much of the car’s construction and fabrication takes place in Italy with the help of Italian experts and craftsmen.  Only 15 examples will be built and each one will set their new owners back around 300,000 Euros – or about $400,000. The car is named after one of the final corners on the Monte Carlo F1 circuit – which itself is named after the scorpion fish or “rascasse” in French.

 The MCA Rascasse is powered by a mid-mounted 5.4 litre V12 from BMW. It can be fueled with either regular gasoline  or hydrogen-enriched LPG. Power out put is said to be around the 500 horsepower mark. Little else is known about its design, engineering or performance. Although I’m lovin’ that little classic analogue clock in the center of the steering wheel! The rest of the dials look like they were colored in by a small child with a box of crayons.

 Given MCA’s long history in proclaiming great things but failing to deliver on all their promises – 100 Centinaires scheduled but just 5 built over the course of 30 years; 2008 prototype race car built for 50th birthday celebrations of Prince Albert of Monaco failed to qualify for intended racing series and rumored street version never appeared – it’ll be a small miracle if the company do in fact manage to get 15 of these things out the factory gates.