1971 Holden Monaro Coupe
The Holden Monaro (/məˈnɑːroʊ/ Mon-AH-ro) is a rear-wheel drive coupé manufactured by General Motors Holden in Australia from 1968 to 1975 and later reintroduced from 2001 to 2005. Few will deny that Holden’s Monaro when it appeared in 1968 ranked as the most significant new concept in Australian automotive history. No manufacturer in this country had ever offered such a range of engine, transmission and trim in combination with a shape that commanded hypnotic attention.
No prizes though for predicting that the two-door HQ would in time be joined by a sedan. The 350 cubic-inch, 5.7-litre Chevrolet V8 was offered only to buyers of GTS and LS-spec Monaros. With no further need for a big and powerful car to undertake competition duty, the output of the 5.7-litre motor was pared back from 224kW in the HG manual to a still-effective 205kW. Installing a 350 in your GTS increased the price by a substantial $850.
The interior, also highly original, is finished in a combination of black vinyl with houndstooth cloth on the four seat squabs and backrests. Throw an HQ into a bend fast enough to induce tyre squeal and the flat vinyl seats with their optional ‘houndstooth’ cloth inserts would try to dump driver and passenger into the same corner of the cabin. Seat belts were supplied but in those days their use was a suggestion not a rule. Today’s inertia reel belts are a big help. Visibility, especially in two-door cars, is outstanding although you do need to take a bit of a guess when parking as to where the edge of the boot lid is.
“Win on Sunday, sell on Monday” was a motto that still rang true in the days of production car racing in Australia, where cars just like this Holden HG Monaro GTS would compete in the premiere class with very few changes to make them race-worthy contenders.
