A magenta
Hai 450 SS prototype debuted at the
1970 Geneva Auto Show. It had a V8 from
Chrysler positioned behind the two seats. Its name combined the German word for "shark" (Hai) and the rated output of the engine. A second car was built with a longer wheelbase and minor detail changes like door handles and red bodywork. This car was named the
Hai 450 GTS to mark the changes. Monteverdi initially planned to produce 49 copies, but production was halted after the two prototypes. Only one car was actually sold, although in a 1974 interview Peter Monteverdi claimed to have delivered eleven of the cars. In the 1990s, Monteverdi used spare parts to build two additional replicas, which now reside in the Swiss National Transport Museum in
Luzern.
Paul Frère tested the 450 SS, reaching in 6.9 seconds and a top speed of . The 450 GTS, tested by
Autozeitung, reached in 5.5 seconds and a top speed of . Curb weight of the 450 SS was as tested by
Automobil-Revue in 1970, considerably higher than the factory numbers. Like Monteverdi's front-engined cars, the Hai made extensive use of Chrysler parts. It has the same
de Dion rear axle as the 375 High Speed, and may be the only mid-engined car ever to have used
recirculating ball steering. ==Styling controversy==