Monaco packs more supercars into a single square kilometer than many auto shows. Yet, in the realm of passing hypercars, the Principality has almost never claimed a true “Monaco” badge-car as its own. Save for one, which appeared at the dawn of the 1990s with specs that read like a manifesto ahead of its time, only to fall back into obscurity almost immediately.
This forgotten Monaco supercar is the MCA Centenaire, built by Monte Carlo Automobile around a Lamborghini 5.2-liter V12 and a full carbon-fiber chassis, several years before the much-celebrated McLaren F1. Produced in only five examples between 1990 and 1992, it’s resurfacing today at the forefront: one of these rare coupes will be auctioned in October, with an estimate of 900,000 to 1.2 million euros (about 1 to 1.4 million dollars), enough to pique the curiosity of collectors who thought they’d seen it all.
MCA Centenaire: The Monaco Supercar Ahead of Its Time
Behind the MCA Centenaire lies Monte Carlo Automotive, a small outfit founded by former F2 and CART driver Fulvio-Maria Ballabio with the support of several figures from motorsports. For its project, the upstart brand landed Lamborghini’s backing, which supplied the 5.2-liter V12 from the Countach 5000 QV, rated at about 449 hp. Like on the Lambo, power is delivered to the rear wheels only through a gated manual transmission—a detail that immediately speaks to enthusiasts. But the real leap forward isn’t under the hood; it’s hidden in the structure.
The Centenaire was indeed pitched as the first road-going supercar to sport a fully carbon central tub, a technology then reserved for Formula 1. McLaren popularized it in Grand Prix racing starting in 1981 and applied it to its road-going F1 in 1994, Jaguar followed with the XJR-15 soon after, but Monte Carlo Automotive beat them by a few years. Cars like the Ferrari F40 were already using composites, but not the entirely carbon monocoque offered by this Monaco supercar, conceived less as a billionaire’s toy and more as a rolling laboratory.
A MCA Centenaire on the Auction Block for More Than a Million
Launching a highly sophisticated GT in 1990 wasn’t ideal timing. The speculative fervor that had sparked the late-1980s supercar market had cooled, while the cost of building an artisanal carbon chassis remained very high. Plans called for around a hundred units; reality stopped at five cars produced between 1990 and 1992. Sources also point to reticence from Lamborghini’s then-new owner, Chrysler, to see its V12 power another flagship as the Diablo had just been launched. A Le Mans program attempt never materialized, though two cars reportedly reached about 220 mph (354 km/h) in testing, a figure that speaks volumes about the car’s potential.
As rare as it is, a MCA Centenaire changes hands very rarely. One of the five examples is set to go under the hammer at the Zoute Concours Auction organized by Broad Arrow in Belgium on October 9. The car is described as the very first chassis, used for testing and demonstrations, then stored at Lamborghini before being offered years later to Fulvio-Maria Ballabio. Painted blue at one point, the coupe underwent a full restoration in 2016 to its original ivory shade, highlighting a spectacular red leather interior. Broad Arrow estimates its value at 900,000 to 1.2 million euros (1 to 1.4 million dollars), a sum that may seem steep for an unknown, but some will see it as the entry price to a discreet carbon hypercar milestone, about to step out of the shadows on sale day.
