The Vauxhall Monaro was the British version of the third-generation Holden Monaro, an Australian rear-wheel-drive coupé built from 2001 to 2006. It was sold only in Britain, not on the European continent, and it brought a Corvette-derived V8 to Vauxhall showrooms for the first time in decades.
Vauxhall Monaro at a glance
| Maker | Vauxhall (Holden Monaro in Australia) |
|---|---|
| Production | 2001–2006 |
| Body | two-door coupé |
| Layout | front engine, rear-wheel drive |
| Based on | Holden Commodore |
| Engine | V8 derived from the Corvette |
| Other names | Pontiac GTO, Chevrolet Lumina Coupe, HSV Coupe |
| Sold in Europe | United Kingdom only, as a Vauxhall |
| Production ended | mid-2006 |
| Successor | Vauxhall VXR8 |
Based on the English article on the Holden Monaro and the German article on the Vauxhall Monaro; the material is thin, so this page is shorter than usual.
History of the Vauxhall Monaro
The Monaro name belongs to Holden’s Australian coupé, which had three generations: the HK, HT and HG series from 1968 to 1971, the HQ, HJ, HX and HZ series from 1971 to 1979, and the VX, VY and VZ series from 2001 to 2006. The first generation was also assembled in South Africa from 1970 to 1973 using knock-down kits from Australia.
The third generation, the car sold in Britain, was built not only for Australia but for export, as the Chevrolet Lumina Coupe in parts of the Middle East, the Pontiac GTO in the United States and the Vauxhall Monaro in the United Kingdom. It was based on the Holden Commodore saloon, and its engine came from the Corvette. Vauxhall sold it in Britain but it was never offered on the European continent as an Opel, even though it met European approval standards. In Australia Holden Special Vehicles also built high-performance derivatives of the same car from 2001 to 2006 without using the Monaro name.
The Monaro was aimed at buyers who wanted a big, simple rear-wheel-drive coupé with a large V8, and it filled a gap in Vauxhall’s range that had been empty since the days of the larger sporting models. Production ended in the middle of 2006, with the last cars sold as Pontiacs in the United States. The Vauxhall VXR8, although a saloon, can be regarded as its successor. In 2003 the German small-series maker Erich Bitter tried to launch a new sports coupé, the Bitter CD2, based on the Monaro and GTO, but the project did not reach series production.
Design and features
- Australian muscle: a Holden Commodore-based coupé with rear-wheel drive.
- Corvette V8: the engine came from General Motors’ sports car.
- British only: sold as a Vauxhall in the UK, never as an Opel on the continent.
- Many badges: also sold as Pontiac GTO, Chevrolet Lumina Coupe and HSV Coupe.
Vauxhall Monaro versions
- Monaro (2001–2006): the standard V8 coupé.
- Monaro VXR: the higher-performance British version.
- Pontiac GTO: the American version of the same car.
- HSV Coupe: Holden Special Vehicles derivatives without the Monaro name.
The Monaro’s Australian saloon sister provided the basis for the later VXR8, and it shared its role as Vauxhall’s performance flagship with the VX220. More cars are in the Vauxhall collection.
Sources
- Holden Monaro, English Wikipedia: generations, export names
- Vauxhall Monaro, German Wikipedia: British market, engine, end of production
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