An extremely rare 1970s Swiss supercar prototype is one of the starring attractions at Bonhams’ Retromobile sale in Paris on Jan. 23.

To show the world that Swiss engineering could keep up with the likes of Lamborghini, Maserati and Ferrari, Peter Monteverdi built the Hai 450 in 1970.

Painted in a unique shade of magenta, the Hai 450 SS prototype debuted at the 1970 Geneva Auto Show.

It was the company’s first mid-engine design which had a huge 426 cubic inch Chrysler V8 wedged in-between the passengers.

Monteverdi initially planned to produce 49 copies, but production was halted after the two first examples.

No orders rolled in probably due to the car’s huge $27 000 price tag (this car cost twice as much as an Aston Martin at the time it was built).

The 1970 Monteverdi Hai 450 SS coupé prototype is expected to fetch up to €500,000 or about $750,000.