When we think of the Plymouth Volaré, we think of rusting sedans, half-assed Road Runners, and if we’re having a decent day, the 360-powered Petty Kit Cars. Even though I’m a fan of the Chrysler FJM platform series, there’s no doubt in my mind, nor anyone else’s, that the Dodge Aspen/Plymouth Volaré twins were flawed when they came out. Rust prevention, are you kidding? Chrysler Corporation was sinking so fast that they couldn’t afford to wait on the arrival of the most vaunted vehicles they had! Replacing the Dodge Dart/Plymouth Scamp was never going to be an easy task, given those model’s reputation for durability, but after a costly recall and severe reputation damage, Chrysler executives admitted that they had rushed the F-bodies out too soon to the market.

On the polar opposite end of the automotive world you have Monteverdi. A Swiss company, Monteverdi was in the business of boutique/special manufacturing, usually with help from a partner company or by bringing in a coach builder to re-skin an existing model. After working with the designer of the AC 428 to create the 440 Chrysler-powered Monteverdi High-Speed, the company had switched to converting International Scouts into Monteverdi Saharas and Safaris. But around 1977, the company switched gears again and took a new approach at a new car. Between 1977 and 1980, approximately twenty Plymouth Volaré sedans and two Dodge Diplomat coupes made their way to Binningen, Switzerland to be converted into Monteverdi Sierras.

The Mopars were simply re-skinned with bodywork designed by Italian coach building firm Carrozzeria Fissore and given a set of Wolf Race mags. The 318ci V8/A904 automatic power trains were left alone. The interior didn’t even change that much: the seats were re-done in leather and the gauge face was re-done with a set of aftermarket gauges in a blank that mimicked the standard Chrysler pattern, vents and all. A few trim pieces here and there, a gauge pod where the radio used to be, and a custom console that housed the radio rounded out the new pieces. The most radical changes occurred to the convertibles, where the Diplomats had their roofs removed.

Now, here’s the fun part: the silver car pictured is currently a feature car on Bring A Trailer, where it is sitting for sale at a cost of about $80,000. Yes, you read that right. For a car that, minus the outer skin and random interior trim, is a 1978 Volaré sedan, you would shell out more than it would cost to buy a Hellcat Charger, or at least twice what you would need to find a very clean Volaré of any type, restore to a matching level of detail, and shove in nearly any engine your heart desires. The Monteverdi is cool, and it’s rare, but is it worth $75,000 more than the nicest Volaré you could find for sale?