Dallara’s secret single-seater, the one-off Monoposto is going to auction
12/04/2026
Even more remarkable: every euro raised will go to charity.
Hidden behind the doors of the company’s workshops in Italy’s Motor Valley, they created a radical one-off single-seater road car called the Dallara MPS Macchina Posto Singolo. Now the secret is out. And for the first time, this extraordinary machine (often referred to internally simply as the Monoposto) is heading to auction at the RM Sotheby's Monaco sale.
A single-seater built purely for driving
The idea behind the Monoposto was deceptively simple. Take the engineering philosophy behind the Dallara Stradale and push it even further.
The result is a road-legal machine with a central driving position, inspired by the company’s earliest racing projects, particularly the legendary Dallara SP1000. For Giampaolo Dallara, the project represented a return to the purest possible interpretation of a driver’s car.
The architecture is built around a carbon-fibre monocoque chassis, paired with the same lightweight engineering principles that made the Stradale such an extraordinary track-focused machine. The goal was simple: First aerodynamic efficiency. Then beauty.
Lightweight performance, pure engineering
Much of the technical DNA comes directly from the Stradale. That means the Monoposto is powered by a 2.3-litre turbocharged engine derived from the Ford EcoBoost, producing roughly 400 horsepower.
Power is sent through a six-speed automated manual transmission, while the entire car weighs around 850 kilograms. Those numbers place the Monoposto squarely in the territory of ultra-lightweight track machines such as the BAC Mono. But the experience is likely even more extreme.
Thanks to the single-seat layout, the car has a narrower frontal area, improving aerodynamic efficiency and delivering a cockpit experience closer to a race car than to a traditional sports car. Yet despite its radical architecture, the Monoposto remains fully road legal, meaning it can be driven to the circuit before unleashing its true personality on track.
A secret project born during the pandemic
What makes the story even more fascinating is how the car came to exist. During the pandemic lockdowns in Italy, when much of the automotive industry slowed to a halt, Giampaolo Dallara encouraged a small group of engineers to work on a passion project.
A car built not for regulations, not for sales targets, but purely for the joy of driving.
The team used several structural elements from the Stradale (including the rear assembly and drivetrain) but also developed numerous bespoke components to suit the Monoposto’s unique architecture.
Interior ergonomics, driving position and cockpit access were all refined through extensive testing, combining Dallara’s decades of experience in motorsport engineering. The final design was completed by Italian designer Andrea Guerri, giving the car its sculptural form and unmistakable single-seater presence.
Heading to Monaco and for a good cause
Now the unique Monoposto will be offered without reserve during the RM Sotheby's Monaco Auction 2026. Its estimated value exceeds €700,000. But unlike most collector cars, this sale carries a deeper purpose.
All proceeds will go to the Caterina Dallara Foundation, created in memory of Giampaolo Dallara’s late daughter. The foundation supports social and cultural initiatives in the Val Ceno region, the founder’s home area in northern Italy.
AutoNext Take
The Monoposto is not about headline horsepower numbers or Nürburgring lap times. It is about purity. One seat. One driver. One purpose.
A car created simply because a group of engineers wanted to build the purest driving machine they could imagine. And if the bidding in Monaco becomes as intense as the car itself, it may well become one of the most fascinating one-off driver’s cars of the decade.
