For nearly two decades, Venturi automobiles built vehicles intended to rival the fastest and most luxurious road-going GT offerings from Porsche, Ferrari, and Aston Martin. MVS represented 'Manufacture de Voitures de Sport' (or 'sports car maker') and was founded in 1984 by French engineers Claude Poiraud and Gérard Godfroy. The company's first production model was the Venturi which made its official debut in 1986 at the Paris Motor Show. The mid-engine sports car had a tubular steel backbone chassis with box section reinforcement and low-slung, aerodynamic bodywork manufactured from fiberglass. At the front was an independent suspension setup with double wishbones, while the rear used a multi-link arrangement.

Before its arrival in 1986, the Venturi was spelled 'Ventury,' and it came equipped with a Volkswagen Golf GTi engine. Next came a Peugeot 505 Turbo engine with approximately 200 horsepower before settling with a PRV V6 unit. Production began in 1987 in limited numbers. Approximately five examples were constructed that first year and subsequently increased as years progressed. Engine output from the PRV V6 unit would range from 160 to 260 PS, in naturally and turbocharged configurations.

The Venturi 160 was a naturally aspirated version equipped with a catalyzed 2849 cc version of the PRV V6, allowing it to be sold in Japan. The Venturi 180 was primarily intended for the Italian market and was powered by a turbocharged 1995cc inline four-cylinder Douvrin engine from the Renault 21 Turbo, offering 185 PS. The Venturi 400 GT was the first car in the world equipped with standard carbon brakes. Produced from 1994 through 1997, just 15 road-going and 73 racing versions were built. The competition version was known as the Venturi 400 Trophy (also known only as Venturi Trophy). The six-cylinder engine displaced 2,975cc and, with the help of a pair of turbochargers, developed over 400 horsepower and 530 NM of torque.

It is believed that three examples of the Venturi 111 Cup were built for the Italian market and were powered by a lightweight and compact inline four-cylinder engine. Its 2.0-liter displacement size was meant to circumvent the then-punitive thirty-eight percent tax on cars with cars that exceeded 2-liter sizes. Derived from the contemporary Renault 21 Turbo, the turbocharged engine offered approximately 185 horsepower. It was positioned ahead of the rear axle and sent power to the rear wheels courtesy of a five-speed transmission. Due to the lightweight engine compared to the other six-cylinder Venturi models, it had slightly better fuel economy and sharper handling.

by Dan Vaughan