French registration papers

- A true sports GT
- Balanced handling
- Very well documented history

Christened MVS (for Manufacture de Voitures de Sport) in 1985, the famous marque (later better known as Venturi) will always be remembered as the make which revived the production of French GT cars at the end of the 1980s. At the end of 1990, the MVS logo on the cars’ bodywork made way for the marque’s new emblem, the gyrfalcon. In order to meet the new emission regulations, the 2.80 APC (standing for Avec Pot Catalytique – with a catalytic converter) succeeded the SPC but continued to develop 260bhp; it had the internal code ‘Cup 511’. It was a mid-engined V6, with the engine installed longitudinally and fitted – like its older sister – with a Garrett T3 turbocharger; the engine was mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. Although MVS built the cars independently, many of the parts and switchgear came from mass-produced models, notably from Renault. But the car was of excellent quality overall, with the interior appearing particularly luxurious and well finished. Altogether, 70 Venturi 260bhp ‘Cup 511’ or APC cars left the factory.
Originally a Swiss car, this Venturi was first registered on 1 October 1990 and was soon sold on to its second owner, a Mr. von Jenner, who purchased it from the Mercedes-Benz dealership in Zurich in August 1992, when the car had covered 23,700km (14,700 miles). It was then transferred to its third owner, a Mr. Kessler, on 23 September 2001. Soon after he purchased it, he instructed BEA in Geneva to assess the condition of the car; their expert found it to be ‘in order’ (in Swiss parlance). A further report on the car was carried out in 2007 by the firm Marquet & Chevallier in Béziers, which estimated its market value at 32,000€; at that time, it had covered a total of 59,900km (37,200 miles). It has a continuous history until the present day, with a full service carried out in December 2017 at Dijon Gestion Moteur, amounting to nearly 6900€. Tests on the engine showed that it was operating normally and delivering its original power output of 260bhp, at a total distance covered of 89,000km (55,300 miles). Behind the wheel, we found it to be car of many talents, flexible at low revs but also well able to demonstrate its sporting character when the turbo kicked in. In good overall condition and at this attractive estimated price, it would be a shame to miss out on this excellent GT.