Cars Classic Cars

1997 VENTURI 300 ATLANTIQUE COUPE

Founded by French engineers Claude Poiraud and GĂ©rard Godfroy in 1984, Venturi set out to compete with top-shelf European sports cars from Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lotus, and Porsche. Venturi would briefly compete in Formula One, Le Mans, and GT racing before going bankrupt in 2000. During Venturi’s original short run, they would produce powerful, mid-engine grand tourers in very small numbers, like this 1997 300 Atlantique. The 300 Atlantique is powered by a 280 horsepower turbocharged V6 nestled in a lightweight chassis with fiberglass bodywork. Top speed is 174 MPH, and with just over 9,000 miles on the odometer, the car is in like-new condition. Only 57 300 Atlantique coupes were made, making it a rare example of French sporting automobiles.