Beaver · Class A
Beaver Contessa
The Contessa was a Beaver model before SMC bought the company in 1994. SMC brought the name back in 1997 on a redesigned coach with a 330-horsepower engine. Monaco's price tables list it until the report filed in March 2003, and the owners' club holds Contessa brochures and manuals for 2007 to 2009; the 2008 manual lists a 425-horsepower Caterpillar C9 engine. Two Contessas finished in 2009 and labeled 2010 models were the last Beaver coaches built.
Fact-checked. An independent reviewer checked this page against its cited sources.
All the years
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| Year | Configuration | Length | Chassis | Engine | Price when new |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Model-year overview | — | — | — | — |
| 2009 | Model-year overview | — | — | — | — |
| 2008 | Model-year overview | — | — | Caterpillar C9 · 425 hp | — |
| 2007 | Model-year overview | — | — | — | — |
| 1998 | Model-year overview | — | — | — | — |
A dash means that value has not been documented yet. Length, chassis and engine can change by floorplan inside one model year, so open a year for the full detail.
The story of the model
Contessa history
SMC's 1997 report says the Contessa had been a Beaver model before SMC bought Beaver in 1994. A long-time club member lists the 1993 Contessa at $270,000 to $295,000, and club members say 1993 was the last year of that design.
SMC brought the name back in 1997 on a completely redesigned coach with a 330-horsepower engine. Its price range was $190,000 to $230,000 in SMC's report for 1997 and $216,000 to $275,000 in its report for 2000. Club members say SMC's chief, Mathew Perlot, wanted the Contessa to be a lower-priced line rather than sit just below the Marquis; SMC's price ranges put it between the Monterey and the Patriot. Monaco listed the Contessa at $255,000 to $270,000 in its annual report filed in March 2003, but the line is missing from the reports filed in 2004 and 2005.
The club's library next lists a Contessa brochure for 2007. The 2008 owner's manual covers models from 38 to 42 feet with a 425-horsepower Caterpillar C9 engine. When Monaco went bankrupt in 2009, two Contessas were on the production line. They were finished after Navistar bought Monaco and were labeled 2010 models.
- 1993Last year of the first Contessa
Club members say the original Contessa ended with the 1993 models and was replaced by a bus-front model called the Acclaim. Source ↗
- 1997Reintroduced by SMC
SMC reintroduced the Contessa as a completely new design with a 330-horsepower engine, priced from $190,000 to $230,000. Source ↗
- 2000Priced to $275,000
SMC's annual report for 2000 put the Contessa's retail price at $216,000 to $275,000. Source ↗
- 2003Last listing in Monaco's price table
Monaco's annual report filed in March 2003 lists the Contessa at $255,000 to $270,000. The report filed a year later does not list it. Source ↗
- 2007Contessa brochure for 2007
The owners' club library lists a 2007 Contessa brochure and wiring diagrams. Source ↗
- 2009The last two Beavers
Two Contessas left on the line when Monaco went bankrupt were finished after Navistar's purchase and labeled 2010 models. Source ↗
Brochures and sources
- SMC Corp Form 10-K for fiscal year 1997 (SEC EDGAR) ↗
- Beaver Contessa 2008 Owner's Manual (ManualsLib copy) ↗ — A 266-page factory owner's manual. Page 252 holds engine specifications and tank capacities; page 253 holds generator sizes.
- Beaver Ambassador Club — Coach Assist ↗ — Lists Contessa brochures for 2007 and 2009, owner's manuals for 1998, 2008 and 2009, and wiring diagrams. Downloads are for members only.
- Beaver Motorhome History — Navistar (2009 to 2013) ↗ — Account of the two 2010 Contessas.
- SMC Corp Form 10-K for fiscal year 1997 (SEC EDGAR) ↗ — Reintroduction of the Contessa in 1997.
- SMC Corp Form 10-K for fiscal year 1998 (SEC EDGAR) ↗ — Contessa price range for 1998 ($196,000 to $244,000).
- SMC Corp Form 10-K for fiscal year 1999 (SEC EDGAR) ↗ — Contessa price range for 1999 ($204,000 to $244,000).
- SMC Corp Form 10-K for fiscal year 2000 (SEC EDGAR) ↗ — Contessa price range for 2000.
- Monaco Coach Corporation Form 10-K for fiscal year 2001 (SEC EDGAR) ↗ — Suggested retail range filed March 2002 ($220,000 to $245,000).
- Monaco Coach Corporation Form 10-K for fiscal year 2002 (SEC EDGAR) ↗ — Suggested retail range filed March 2003.
- Beaver Ambassador Club forum — History of the Beaver Brand? ↗ — Club members' recollections of the original Contessa and its place in the lineup.
Links open the original page. Facts are checked against these sources; tell us if you find one that is out of date.
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