Monaco, renowned for hosting some of the world’s finest collector cars, has produced remarkably few automobiles of its own. Foremost among them was the MCA Centenaire, the Monaco-born supercar that pioneered the use of a homologated carbon fiber monocoque for the road.
Monte Carlo Automotive (MCA) was founded in 1985 by former Formula 2 and CART driver Fulvio-Maria Ballabio, who assembled an exceptional group of Italian motorsport talent. Technical director Carlo Chiti’s distinguished career included Ferrari’s 156 Sharknose Formula 1 car, Alfa Romeo’s Autodelta competition department, and the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. The Centenaire became his final project before his death in 1994. Former Alfa Romeo Sporting Director Pier Luigi Corbari, AGS Formula 1 specialist Marcel Zunnino, and carbon-composite expert Guglielmo Bellasi also contributed. In 1990, Ballabio secured an agreement with Lamborghini to supply its formidable V12 engine.
Highlights
- The very first road car with a carbon fiber monocoque chassis
- Monaco’s first supercar, created in partnership with Lamborghini
- The first of just five MCA Centenaires produced and the only example originally finished in Ivory White
- Originally retained by the Lamborghini factory and displayed at Rétromobile 2007
- Offered today with less than 1,600 kilometers at cataloging and furnished with a host of documentation from MCA and Lamborghini
- Eligible for a host of prestigious concours events from Villa d’Este to Pebble Beach
- Powered by a 5.2-liter V12 from the Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV
Unveiled in May 1990, the Centenaire became the world’s first road-going supercar with a carbon-composite chassis, predating the Jaguar XJR-15, announced that November, and the McLaren F1. It was also Monaco’s first supercar. Named for the Automobile Club de Monaco‘s centenary, it was presented to Prince Albert II, whose support reinforced its status as the Principality’s homegrown exotic.
After traveling to Monaco to see the car, Formula 1 World Champion Phil Hill wrote in the April 1992 issue of Road & Track, “even with a populace as cosmopolitan and blasé as the Monegasques, a car as exotic as the Monte Carlo GTB still commands quite a crowd—whether rolling or roaring along.”
The MCA concept evolved through the 1990s, culminating in the Méga Monte Carlo in 1996. Only three original Centenaires, however, were produced between 1990 and 1992 with Lamborghini V12 power. Two were subsequently developed for trials ahead of the 1993 24 Hours of Le Mans, reportedly reaching 354 km/h on the Mulsanne Straight.
This 1990 Centenaire is the first example produced and therefore the first road-going production car fitted with a carbon fiber chassis. The only Centenaire originally finished in Ivory White, it was paired with a red leather interior representing Monaco’s national colors. Power comes from the Countach 5000 QV’s 5.2-liter V12, producing 455 PS through a ZF six-speed manual transmission.
A letter from MCA representative Matteo Ramello confirms the car as original chassis 001, initially used for development, testing, and presentations. It was later redesignated EL0002 and retained at Lamborghini’s Sant’Agata Bolognese factory for approximately a decade before being gifted to Ballabio in the early 2000s.
Refinished in blue around 2007, the Centenaire was displayed at Rétromobile that year alongside the Lamborghini Pregunta concept. The consignor acquired the car in France in 2014. Approximately two years later, Établissements Lecoq restored the bodywork and returned it to its original Ivory White while preserving the red leather interior.
Today, the Centenaire shows just 1,560 kilometers, although its early development duties indicate the chassis likely covered additional mileage before its odometer was reset for private ownership. Its extensive history file includes MCA correspondence, press materials, period photographs from the Lamborghini factory and Rétromobile, and a copy of the contract between Automobili Lamborghini and Fulvio Ballabio for the supply of Lamborghini engines.
Rare, technically significant, and unmistakably Monegasque, the MCA Centenaire occupies a distinctive place in supercar history. As chassis 001—the pioneering carbon fiber example, powered by a Lamborghini V12 and retaining its original Monaco-inspired color scheme—it presents a compelling candidate for major concours and automotive gatherings worldwide. As Phil Hill observed more than three decades ago, even in Monaco, a car this exotic is impossible to ignore.
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Above contents © 2026 Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG reviewed and edited by Rex McAfee , @rexmcafee 🏁
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