Venturi began in 1984 with two friends and a GT for the Paris Motor Show. Since 2000 it has been a Monaco electric specialist with world speed records to its name.
- Country
-
Monaco - Active
- Since 1984
- Founded by
- Gérard Godfroy and Claude Poiraud
- Website
- Official website ↗
A Paris show car built by two friends
Venturi began with a dare. In 1984, says the company, Gérard Godfroy and Claude Poiraud decided to take on the challenge of presenting an ambitious GT at the Paris Motor Show. Godfroy was the designer, Poiraud the engineer, and both had worked at the coachbuilder Heuliez.
The business behind the car was called MVS, short for Manufacture de Voitures de Sport, or “sports car manufacturer”. The prototype, though, wore a different badge: Ventury, with a Y. The spelling soon changed to Venturi, and accounts of the period say the I was chosen because it sounded more Italian. The word itself also names the tapered venturi tube from fluid dynamics, but we couldn’t find Venturi’s own explanation of why it was picked.
The French GT maker had a good run. According to Venturi, it enjoyed success until 1995, its race cars competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the name even reached Formula 1, with a sixth place at the 1992 Monaco Grand Prix. In 1999 the company ran into financial trouble and went into receivership.
A new owner and a new home in Monaco
Rescue came from next door. In 2000 the Monegasque businessman Gildo Pastor bought Venturi and moved its head office to Monaco. He also changed its direction completely. From then on, Venturi would focus on high-performance electric vehicles.
A bird, then a bold red V
In 1990 Venturi adopted a bird with outstretched wings as its badge. One French enthusiast guide identifies the bird as a gyrfalcon and describes it as an answer to Ferrari‘s prancing horse. It’s a nice story, but it doesn’t come from Venturi itself.
In the logo files Venturi publishes today, the name is set in wide black capitals, VENTURI, and the secondary version adds a large red V beneath it, its two arms flaring outwards at the top. Venturi doesn’t publish an official explanation of the V, so we won’t invent one. The obvious reading is simply the initial of the name.
From turbo GTs to salt flat rockets
Few car brands have lived two lives this different. The first Venturi was a petrol GT from western France. The second is a Monaco electric specialist that, by its own count, has set 26 world speed records.
Landmark Venturis, from Paris to Bonneville
- 1984: The Paris Motor Show GT. The ambitious GT that Godfroy and Poiraud presented in Paris, the car that started it all.
- 1994: 400 GT. A road car derived from the brand’s racing programme, with around 408 bhp from a turbocharged V6.
- 2004: Fétish. Unveiled at the Paris Motor Show and described by Venturi as the first all-electric sports car. Designed by Sacha Lakic, developed by Gérard Ducarouge.
- 2009: VBB-2. Built with Ohio State University, this hydrogen fuel cell streamliner reached 487 km/h at Bonneville.
- 2016: VBB-3. On 19 September 2016 the battery-powered Venturi Buckeye Bullet 3 hit 549 km/h (341 mph) on the Bonneville Salt Flats, with Roger Schroer at the wheel.
Venturi also went racing with electricity. It joined Formula E in December 2013 as the first team to sign up, started at the very first race in Beijing in September 2014 and stayed for eight seasons. In 2010 it bought the French motorcycle maker Voxan, and its electric bikes went on to set speed records of their own. If you like electric pioneers, the story of Tesla runs in parallel, and for more on how emblems like the red V are drawn, see how car logos are designed.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Venturi logo look like?
Venturi’s current logo files show the name VENTURI in wide black capitals, with a secondary version that adds a large red V below. Venturi doesn’t publish an official meaning for the V.
Who founded Venturi?
Gérard Godfroy and Claude Poiraud. According to Venturi, its story began in 1984, when the two decided to present an ambitious GT at the Paris Motor Show. Their company was called MVS, Manufacture de Voitures de Sport.
Why is Venturi based in Monaco if it started in France?
Gildo Pastor, a Monegasque businessman, bought the company in 2000 and moved its head office to Monaco. He also refocused Venturi on high-performance electric vehicles.
What was the Venturi Fétish?
An electric two-seater unveiled at the 2004 Paris Motor Show. Venturi describes it as the first all-electric sports car.
Paris show GT to Bonneville streamliner: the Venturi flight log
- Founded
- 1984
- Founder
- Gérard Godfroy and Claude Poiraud
- Country
- Monaco
- Headquarters
- Monaco
- Current emblem
- A VENTURI wordmark in black capitals, with a large red V in the secondary version
- Known for
- The 400 GT, the electric Fétish and electric land speed records
- Website
- Official website ↗