The Chevrolet Monte Carlo was a two-door coupé sold over six generations from 1970 to 2007, with a break between 1989 and 1994. It was Chevrolet’s first personal luxury car, a rival to the Pontiac Grand Prix, and for much of its life it was the car Chevrolet raced in NASCAR.
Chevrolet Monte Carlo at a glance
| Production | 1970–1988 and 1995–2007 |
|---|---|
| Class | Personal luxury coupé, later mid-size coupé |
| Named after | Monte Carlo, Monaco |
| Platform 1970–1972 | A-Special, shared with the Pontiac Grand Prix |
| Platform 1973–1977 | standard A-body intermediate |
| Platform 1978–1988 | downsized A-body, later renamed G-body |
| Revival platform | front-wheel-drive W-body from 1995 |
| Sport version | Monte Carlo SS from the 1980s |
| Motorsport | Chevrolet’s NASCAR model from 1970 to 2007 |
History of the Chevrolet Monte Carlo
The Monte Carlo was introduced for 1970 as Chevrolet’s first personal luxury car, taking its name from the city in Monaco. It was a variant of the Pontiac Grand Prix throughout its life. From 1970 to 1972 it rode on the unique A-Special platform shared with the Grand Prix, then moved to the standard A-body intermediate chassis for 1973 to 1977. The 1978 cars were downsized but still counted as mid-sized coupés; that rear-wheel-drive platform was renamed the G-body when GM introduced front-wheel-drive A-body cars for 1982.
The first rear-wheel-drive run ended with an abbreviated 1988 model year, after which the two-door Chevrolet Lumina took its place. The Monte Carlo returned for 1995 as the replacement for the two-door Lumina, sharing the front-wheel-drive W-platform with the two-door Grand Prix and becoming the largest coupé in the Chevrolet range. When the Grand Prix coupé was dropped after 2002, the Monte Carlo became the largest two-door car made by an American manufacturer.
Throughout much of its production the Monte Carlo was Chevrolet’s car in stock car racing, and the Monte Carlo SS of the 1980s was the road version built around that image, with aerodynamically enhanced styling. After the 1995 revival it again represented Chevrolet in NASCAR until it was discontinued. Falling sales of two-door cars brought the end of the line after the 2007 model year.
Design and features
- First personal luxury Chevrolet: a new kind of car for the brand in 1970.
- Grand Prix twin: the Monte Carlo was a variant of the Pontiac throughout its life.
- Monte Carlo SS: the 1980s performance version with aerodynamic bodywork.
- NASCAR: Chevrolet’s stock car model for most of four decades.
Chevrolet Monte Carlo versions
- 1970–1972: the original A-Special coupé shared with the Grand Prix.
- 1973–1977: the intermediate A-body car.
- 1978–1988: the downsized rear-wheel-drive generation, later the G-body.
- 1995–2007: the front-wheel-drive W-body revival.
- Monte Carlo SS: the sporty version of the 1980s and later generations.
The Monte Carlo shared its market with the Chevrolet Chevelle and the Chevrolet Malibu, and its place as Chevrolet’s racing coupé passed to the Chevrolet Camaro. More cars are in the Chevrolet collection.
Video: 1974 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 350 V8
Video by Matt Tschanz on YouTube.
Sources
- Chevrolet Monte Carlo, English Wikipedia: generations, platforms, SS, motorsport
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