The Signature is one of the model lines sold under the Monaco name. Monaco is an American motorhome brand that began in 1968 as the Caribou Manufacturing Company and now belongs to REV Recreation Group, the REV Group subsidiary that also owns Holiday Rambler and Fleetwood RV.
Monaco Signature at a glance
| Make | Monaco |
|---|---|
| Model | Signature |
| Type | Class A diesel motorhome |
| Builder | Monaco Coach Corporation |
| Production | Decatur, Indiana, United States |
| Founded | 1968, as Caribou Manufacturing Company |
| Company name | Monaco Coach Corporation, from 1977 |
| Brands of the group | Monaco, Holiday Rambler, Fleetwood RV, American Coach, Trek |
| Ownership | REV Recreation Group, a subsidiary of REV Group |
| Earlier owners | Navistar International, 2009–2013; Allied Specialty Vehicles, from 2013 |
No Wikipedia article covers the Signature itself, so this page is based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on Monaco Coach Corporation, and describes the model only in the context of the maker’s range.
History of the Monaco Signature
From campers to coaches
Monaco was incorporated in 1968 as the Caribou Manufacturing Company by Ray Mehaffey. The company built pickup campers, and the most popular of its lines was named «Monaco». In 1977 the business adopted that name for itself. The Signature is one of the lines through which Monaco later offered complete motorhomes rather than campers.
A company that bought its rivals
In 1984 Monaco acquired the Roadmaster Chassis Division of Chrysler Corporation, and in 1996 it bought the Holiday Rambler Division of Harley-Davidson for $21.5 million in cash plus preferred stock, assuming most of Holiday Rambler’s liabilities and buying ten Holiday World dealerships for $13.0 million at the same time. Monaco made seven brands of motorhomes and RVs, and in 1994 it moved its Junction City operations to the Coburg Industrial Park in Eugene, Oregon.
2009 and after
The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on 5 March 2009 and the case became a Chapter 7 liquidation that June. Navistar International bought the core assets — factories, inventory, brands and intellectual property — for $47 million and continued the business as Monaco RV LLC; in 2013 Navistar sold Monaco to Allied Specialty Vehicles. Allied Recreation Group was established that year after the acquisition of Monaco and Holiday Rambler, took the name REV Group in 2015, and keeps Monaco Coach as a division.
Design and features
- Class A diesel motorhome: the Signature is part of Monaco’s range of Class A diesel coaches.
- American manufacture: Monaco coaches are built in Decatur, Indiana, with service centres in Decatur and Coburg, Oregon.
- Group ownership: the brand has been owned by REV Recreation Group since 2013, alongside Holiday Rambler.
- Diesel chassis heritage: Monaco’s ownership of the Roadmaster chassis business goes back to 1984.
Monaco Signature versions
- Monaco Signature: the line described on this page.
- Monaco Cayman: a smaller line in the same Monaco range.
- Monaco Dynasty: another Monaco model.
- Holiday Rambler: the sister brand bought in 1996.
The Monaco Cayman and Monaco Dynasty complete this small group of Monaco articles. More are in the Monaco collection.
Video: 2006 Monaco Signature 45′
Video by DeMartini RV Sales on YouTube.
Sources
- Monaco Coach Corporation, English Wikipedia: company history, acquisitions, ownership
