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Chevrolet Monza
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| Chevrolet Monza | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet | ||
| Production: 1975-1980 | ||
| Class: Subcompact | ||
| Body Style: 2-Door Coupe, 3-Door Hatchback, 3-Door Wagon | ||
| Length: | ||
| Width: | ||
| Height: | ||
| Wheelbase: 97" | ||
| Weight: 2700-3000 lbs | ||
| Transmissions: 4-Speed Manual, 5-Speed Manual, 3-Speed Automatic | ||
| Engines: 2.3L (140 cid) I4 (1975-1977), 2.5L (151 cid) I4 (1978-1980), 3.2L (196 cid) V6 (1978-1979), 3.8L (231 cid) V6 (1978-1980), 4.3L (262 cid) V8 (1975-1976), 5.0L (305 cid) V8 (1977-1979), 5.7L (350 cid) V8 (1975) | ||
| Power: Rear | ||
| Similar: Buick Skyhawk, Oldsmobile Starfire, Pontiac Sunbird | ||
The H-body Chevrolet Monza was introduced in 1975 and would eventually replace the Chevrolet Vega after its demise in 1977. The Monza name was previously used as an option package on the Corvair in the 1960s (rumor has it that the Monza was originally to be named Chaparall). Two other corporate Monza clones would also be introduced this year, the Buick Skyhawk and the Oldsmobile Starfire, with the Pontiac Sunbird coming out a year later. The Monza shared the Vega's 97" wheelbase, but was much nicer equipped and could be had with optional V6 and V8 engines that the Vega didn't offer. Like the Vega, the Monza was also a pleasant looking car, complete with deliberate styling cues from a Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona coupe. Initially the Monza was available as a 2-door coupe and 3-door hatchback, but a 3-door wagon wouldn't be available until 1978, when Chevy took the departed Vega wagon body and grafted a Monza nose on it. An interesting Mirage sport package was offered on the hatchback, which had flared fenders and various decals, and is probably the only Monza model to attract any sort of minor collector interest. The Monza, while not suffering from the mechanical and body rust issues nearly as much as the Vega, was still plagued by indifferent build quality and numerous mechanical issues and factory recalls that Chevrolet (and GM in general) would again have to atone for. So while the Monza was an improvement over the Vega, the bottom line is that it still, ultimately, wasn't good enough.
The Buick Skyhawk and Oldsmobile Starfire changed very little during their tenure other than having minor facelifts in 1979 and didn't sell in near the numbers that the Monza or Pontiac Sunbird did. The Skyhawk and Starfire were available only as 3-door hatchbacks, and while the Starfire offered 4, 6 and 8 cylinder engines, the Skyhawk was available only with the 110 hp Buick 3.8L (231) 2bbl V6.
Here's a rundown from year to year:
1975
The Vega was offered as a 2-door notchback and 3-door hatchback, but the Monza took it a step further and differentiated between its hatchback and notchback models with two distinct front clips - the hatchback got quad rectangular headlights (all new for the day) with parking lights below the bumper (much like a 1970-1973 non-RS Camaro), while the notchback got a more conservative dual round headlight design with the parking lights up in the grille. The tail treatments were different too, the hatchbacks getting a horizontal wraparound design while the notchbacks got a more upright square design not unlike a Vega's. Plus the bumpers on the hatchback were body-colored, whereas they were chrome on the notchback. Base engine was unfortunately the Vega's 2.3L I4 with a 1- or 2bbl carburetor. The 110 hp 4.3L (262) 2bbl V8 was an option borrowed from the Malibu, while the 145 hp 5.7L (350) 2bbl V8 was an option for California buyers. An upper level 2+2 package was available on the hatchbacks, and the notchbacks could be had as a Town Coupe, which had a landau vinyl roof among other such things. Sales totaled 136,000 for both models.
1976
Another name from the Corvair's past, the Spyder, became a sport option for the 2+2 hatchback model, which included an upgraded suspension, front and rear spoilers, full instrumentation and various stripes and decals. Other models continued as before. The 5.7L (350) V8 was dropped this year, other engines also continued. Transmission choices were 4 and 5-speed manuals for the 4 cyl engine, but a 3-speed automatic was optional on the 4 cyl and standard on the 4.3 V8. Sales inexplicably dipped to just under 81,000 this year.
1977
The hatchback's quad headlight nose could be ordered on the coupe now if so desired, but most still made do with the dual round headlight design. The 4.3L V8 was dropped this year, replaced by a 145 hp 5.0L (305) 2bbl V8. Sales totaled 73,348.
1978
Now that the Vega was finally gone, the Monza became Chevrolet's lone sporty subcompact model. The Monza inherited the Vega's 3-door wagon bodystyle, so the Monza was now available as a wagon. A new nose was introduced - this one still had dual round headlights but the grille no longer had an eggcrate design and now was blacked out with a vertical chrome strip running down the center (all Monza wagons would have this front end). Monzas with this front end also got new larger tri-colored taillights (except the wagons, which retained the old Vega wagon taillights). The previous quad headlight design continued as before with the smaller wraparound taillights, to make things more confusing. The now-thoroughly despised Vega 2.3L I4 engine was finally gone too, replaced by an 85 hp Pontiac-built 2.5L I4 2bbl engine, nicknamed "Iron Duke" (to distance itself from the previous aluminum block 2.3). Additionally 2 new V6s were offered this year too (both built by Buick), a 90 hp 3.2L (196) 2bbl V6 and a 110 hp 3.8L (231) 2bbl V6, as well as the Chevy-built 305 V8. Sales jumped this year to nearly 139,000 units.
1979
After all the changes and shuffles in 1978, the 1979 models, which included the 2-door notchbacks, 3-door hatchbacks, 3-door wagons, plus the Spyder and Town Coupe models, all continued as before with no appreciable changes. Sales jumped again to 163,833 units for all models.
1980
The wagon bodystyle was dropped this year, as were the 196 V6 and 305 V8 options, as well as (inexplicably) the 5-speed manual transmission option. The 2.5L I4 and the 3.8L V6 were the only engines left this year, both available with 3-speed automatic or 4-speed manual transmission. The 2-door notchback and 3-door hatchbacks continued with very little change - the sporty Spyder model continued on the hatchbacks and got a deeper airdam and revised decals and graphics (although one has to wonder why Chevrolet bothered with those changes, since the V8 was no longer available). Speedometers read 85 MPH this year (actually up from the previous 80 MPH units). Since the Monza's replacement, the Cavalier, wouldn't be ready until mid-1981 (it debuted as an early 1982 model), the Monza would be produced until the end of calendar year 1980. The Monza's corporate clones, the Sunbird, Firenza and Starfire, would all die at the end of this year also, and would all be subsequently replaced by J-car variants. Perhaps due to the extended model year, the Monza ironically enjoyed its best sales year ever, even without a wagon bodystyle and a V8 engine - over 170,000 units were still sold.
