Holden Monaro

Holden Monaro
Production period:	1968-2005
Class :	upper middle class
Body versions :	Limousine , coupe

The Holden Monaro is a coupé built by the Australian General Motors subsidiary Holden .

The Monaro was built from 1968 to 1976, as the Holden LE Coupé and Holden GTS 4-door even until 1979. The Monaro experienced a new edition in modern form from 2001 to 2005.

Year by year

Monaro (HK / HT / HG, 1968–1971)

Monaro HK (1968–1969) Monaro HT (1969–1970) Monaro HG (1970–1971)
Holden Monaro HT GTS 350 (1969-1970)
Production period:	1968-1971
Body versions :	Coupe
Engines:	Petrol engines : 2.6-5.7 liters (79-221 kW)
Length:	4699 mm
Width:	1816 mm
Height:	1417-1486 mm
Wheelbase :	2819 mm
Empty weight :	1471-1493 kg

The original Monaro was a two-door hardtop coupé (without B-pillars) based on the contemporary Holden Belmont sedan of the HK series and was offered in the basic version, as GTS and GTS 327 . The basic model was optionally available with a 2.6 l or 3.05 l in-line six-cylinder, the GTS with the 3.05 l R6 in a stronger version or a 5.0 l V8. A 5.4 liter V8 from Chevrolet did its job in the GTS 327 . A GTS 327 won the Bathurst 500-mile race straight away in 1968 .

At the beginning of 1969 the Australian trade journal Wheels named the Monaro "Car of the Year 1968".

In June 1969 the Monaro HK received its first facelift and was now called '' Monaro HT ''. At the same time, the 5.4-liter V8 in the top model was replaced by a 5.7-liter V8, and its designation was changed accordingly to GTS 350 (the numbers indicate the respective displacement in cubic inches). This model also won the Bathurst race in 1969.

Holden Monaro HG (1970-1971)

Rear of the Monaro HG

In 1970 the Monaro HG , which was again slightly revised, followed . The distinguishing features of the HT and HG compared to the HK were the plastic radiator grille (the HK was made of metal), round tachometer on the dashboard instead of a square instrument on the center console, rubber mounts on the front axle (instead of bearings made of sintered bronze) and enlarged rear lights drawn around the corners of the body .

The variants can also be clearly distinguished by the shape of the decorative stripes. In the HK, a strip ran along the left side of the bonnet and trunk lid; in the HG, the strips ran along the upper flanks and ended just before the C-pillar. The GTS models in HT and HG versions had air scoops on the bonnet.

The design of the first-generation Monaro is similar to the Opel Rekord C Coupé; however, the Holden was a good deal bigger.

model	designation	Vehicle type	Construction period
HK-80337	Monaro Coupé	Hardtop Coupé, two-door	07 / 1968-06 / 1969
HK-80737	Monaro GTS Coupé	Hardtop Coupé, two-door	07 / 1968-06 / 1969
HK-80837	Monaro GTS 327 Coupé	Hardtop Coupé, two-door	07 / 1968-06 / 1969
HT-80337	Monaro Coupé R6	Hardtop Coupé, two-door	06 / 1969-07 / 1970
HT-80437	Monaro Coupé V8	Hardtop Coupé, two-door	06 / 1969-07 / 1970
HT-80737	Monaro GTS Coupé R6	Hardtop Coupé, two-door	06 / 1969-07 / 1970
HT-80837	Monaro GTS Coupé V8	Hardtop Coupé, two-door	06 / 1969-07 / 1970
HT-81837	Monaro GTS 350 Coupé V8	Hardtop Coupé, two-door	06 / 1969-07 / 1970
HG-80337	Monaro Coupé R6	Hardtop Coupé, two-door	07 / 1970-06 / 1971
HG-80437	Monaro Coupé V8	Hardtop Coupé, two-door	07 / 1970-06 / 1971
HG-80737	Monaro GTS Coupé R6	Hardtop Coupé, two-door	07 / 1970-06 / 1971
HG-80837	Monaro GTS Coupé V8	Hardtop Coupé, two-door	07 / 1970-06 / 1971
HG-81837	Monaro GTS 350 Coupé V8	Hardtop Coupé, two-door	07 / 1970-06 / 1971

A total of 29,529 units of the HK, HG and HT Monaro were produced.

Datasheet Holden Monaro HK (1969) + Monaro HT GTS 350 (1970)

Holden Monaro	2600	3000	3000 GTS	5000	GTS 327	GTS 350
Engine:	6-cylinder in-line engine (four-stroke), longitudinally at the front			8-cylinder V-engine (four-stroke), fork angle 90 °, lengthways at the front
Displacement:	2637 cc	3043 cc		5025 cc	5354 cm³	5733 cc
Bore × stroke:	85.73 x 76.2 mm	92.08 x 76.2 mm		98.43 x 82.55 mm	101.6 x 82.55 mm	101.6 x 88.4 mm
Performance at 1 / min:	85 kW (116 SAE PS) at 4400	94 kW (128 SAE PS) at 4200	108 kW (147 SAE PS) at 4600	157 kW (213 SAE PS) at 4600	186 kW (253 SAE PS) at 4800	224 kW (304 SAE PS) at 4800
Max. Torque at 1 / min:	213 Nm at 2000	245 Nm at 1600	250 Nm at 2200	406 Nm at 2400	440 Nm at 3200	514 Nm at 3200
Compression:	9.2: 1			8.75: 1		10.2: 1
Mixture preparation:	1 downdraft carburetor		1 double carburetor		1 quadruple carburetor
Valve control:	Lateral camshaft, drive via gear wheels			Central camshaft, chain drive
Cooling:	Water cooling
Transmission:	3- or 4-speed gearbox aW GM two -way automatic "Powerglide" GTS 327 only 4-speed gearbox rear-wheel drive
Front suspension:	two unequal length wishbones, coil springs, stabilizer
Rear suspension:	Rigid axle, semi-elliptical leaf springs
Brakes:	Four-wheel drum brakes aW (GTS models series) Front disc brakes, aW servo
Steering:	Recirculating ball steering, aW servo
Body:	Sheet steel, self-supporting
Track width front / rear:	1450/1450 mm					1476/1476 mm
Wheelbase:	2820 mm
Dimensions:	4695 × 1825 × 1390 mm
Empty weight:	1300 kg		1334 kg	1380 kg	1495 kg	1550 kg
Top speed:	approx. 145 km / h	approx. 155 km / h	approx. 165 km / h	approx. 170-200 km / h	approx. 160-200 km / h	approx. 190-200 km / h
0-100 km / h (test values):			11.8 s		7.6 s	8.1 s
Consumption (L / 100 km):	approx. 10-13		approx. 11-14	approx. 14-19	approx. 14-20	approx. 20 p

Monaro / LE Coupé / GTS 4-door (HQ / HJ / HX / HZ, 1971–1979)

Monaro HQ (1971–1974) Monaro HJ (1974–1976) LE Coupé HX / GTS 4-door HX (1976–1977) GTS 4-door HZ (1977–1979)
Holden Monaro HJ GTS (1974-1976)
Production period:	1971-1979
Body versions :	Limousine , coupe
Engines:	Petrol engines : 2.85–5.7 liters (82–202 kW)
Length:	4762-4940 mm
Width:	1880-1887 mm
Height:	1372-1397 mm
Wheelbase :	2819-2896 mm
Empty weight :	1336-1472 kg

Holden Monaro HQ GTS 350 (1971–1974)

Holden LE Coupé HX (1976-1977)

In July 1971, Holden presented a completely new second generation with the Monaro HQ . Also new was the comfort-oriented LS equipment variant with a new 3.3 l in-line six-cylinder or V8 engine up to 5.7 l and a standard black vinyl roof.

The GTS was no longer available with a six-cylinder engine; In the base model, a 2.85 liter six-cylinder provided propulsion. The new body line, with its wider, steeper C-pillar and larger rear window, was widely viewed as less sporty, but is now considered one of the best Australian designs.

The sporty reputation of the GTS (which had to do without trim until 1973 and whose V8 had lost some of its power, especially when it was coupled with a three-speed automatic) was also damaged by the fact that Holden competed in Bathurst with the smaller Holden Torana from 1970 .

The HJ series of the Monaro, introduced at the end of 1974, was characterized by an extensive facelift , front and rear spoilers available on request and the elimination of the small six-cylinder, but also the 5.7-liter V8.

In 1976, Monaro production ended with a limited edition of 600 pieces, the LE Coupé HX . However, these coupés no longer bore the Monaro name, and neither did the four-door GTS models.

A HZ series of the 4-door GTS was also launched in October 1977 with double headlights and a black radiator grille, which was manufactured until the end of 1979.

Some copies of the Monaro GTS were exported to South Africa and / or assembled there from imported parts at General Motors South Africa . These cars were later marketed as the Chevrolet SS and were given their own front section with twin headlights. Most of these vehicles had the 5.7 liter V8 under the hood.

The Monaro is considered to be one of the leading muscle cars in Australia, along with the Ford Falcon GT , Chrysler's Valiant Charger and the more powerful versions of the Holden Torana , but overlooks the fact that most of the Monaros were powered by the smaller six-cylinder and the weaker V8 engines . The Monaro HK GTS 327 and the later GTS 350 models are particularly sought after by collectors today.

model	designation	Vehicle type	Construction period
HQ-80337	Monaro Coupé R6	Hardtop Coupé, two-door	07 / 1971-10 / 1974
HQ-80437	Monaro Coupé V8	Hardtop Coupé, two-door	07 / 1971-10 / 1974
HQ-80837	Monaro GTS Coupé V8	Hardtop Coupé, two-door	07 / 1971-10 / 1974
HQ-80837	Monaro GTS 4-door V8	Limousine, four-door	04 / 1973-10 / 1974
HQ-81137	Monaro LS Coupé R6	Hardtop Coupé, two-door	07 / 1971-10 / 1974
HQ-81237	Monaro LS Coupé V8	Hardtop Coupé, two-door	07 / 1971-10 / 1974
HQ-81837	Monaro GTS 350 V8	Hardtop Coupé, two-door	07 / 1971-10 / 1974
HJ-8WP37	Monaro LS Coupé	Hardtop Coupé, two-door	10 / 1974-06 / 1976
HJ-8WQ37	Monaro GTS Coupé	Hardtop Coupé, two-door	10 / 1974-07 / 1976
HJ-8WQ69	Monaro GTS 4-door	Limousine, four-door	10 / 1974-06 / 1976
HX-8WQ37	LE Coupé	Hardtop Coupé, two-door	08 / 1976-12 / 1976
HX-8WQ69	GTS 4-door	Limousine, four-door	07 / 1976-09 / 1977
HZ-8WQ69	GTS 4-door	Limousine, four-door	10 / 1977-12 / 1979

A total of 18,626 copies of the second generation Monaro were produced.

Datasheet Holden Monaro HQ (1973)

Holden Monaro	2800	3300	4100	5000	5700
Engine:	6-cylinder in-line engine (four-stroke), longitudinally at the front		8-cylinder V-engine (four-stroke), fork angle 90 °, lengthways at the front
Designation:	GMH 173	GMH 202	GMH 253	GMH 308	GMH 350
Displacement:	2832 cc	3304 cc	4141 cc	5042 cc	5733 cc
Bore × stroke:	88.9 x 76.2 mm	92.1 x 82.6 mm	92.1 x 77.77 mm	101.6 x 77.77 mm	101.6 x 88.39 mm
Performance at 1 / min:	88 kW (120 SAE PS) at 4400	101 kW (137 SAE PS) at 4400	138 kW (188 SAE PS) at 4400	179 kW (243 SAE PS) at 4800	205 kW (279 SAE PS) at 4800
Max. Torque at 1 / min:	227 Nm at 2000	263 Nm at 2000	355 Nm at 2400	426 Nm at 3000	488 Nm at 3200
Compression:	9.4: 1		9: 1		8.5: 1
Mixture preparation:	1 downdraft carburetor		injection	1 downdraft twin carburetor	1 downdraft quadruple carburetor
Valve control:	Lateral camshaft, drive via gear wheels		Central camshaft, chain drive
Cooling:	Water cooling
Transmission:	3- or 4-speed gearbox aW three-speed automatic "Trimatic" rear-wheel drive			4-speed gearbox aW three-speed automatic "Trimatic" rear-wheel drive
Front suspension:	Triangle wishbones, coil springs, stabilizer
Rear suspension:	Rigid axle, lower longitudinal and upper trailing arms, coil springs
Brakes:	Drum brakes all around aW front disc brakes, rear drums, servo			Front disc brakes, rear drums, servo
Steering:	Recirculating ball steering, aW servo
Body:	Sheet steel, self-supporting
Track width front / rear:	1530/1530 mm
Wheelbase:	2820 mm
Dimensions:	4760 × 1880 × 1350 mm
Empty weight:	from 1340 kg	from 1350 kg	from 1380 kg	from 1380 kg	from 1390 kg
Top speed:	approx. 145–155 km / h	approx. 155-165 km / h	approx. 170-175 km / h	approx. 170-200 km / h	approx. 195–210 km / h
0-100 km / h (test values):			9.4 s	8.1 s	7.5 s
Consumption (L / 100 km):	approx. 11-14	approx. 11-15	approx. 12-17	approx. 12-19	approx. 16-22

V2 / VZ (2001-2005)

Monaro V2 (2001-2004) Monaro VZ (2004-2005)
Holden Monaro V2 (2001-2004)
Production period:	2001-2005
Body versions :	Coupe
Engines:	Petrol engines : 3.8-5.7 liters (171-190 kW)
Length:	4789 mm
Width:	1841 mm
Height:	1397 mm
Wheelbase :
Empty weight :	1603-1677 kg

More than 20 years after the second-generation Monaro was discontinued, Holden showed a Holden-Commodore coupe as a style study at the Sydney Motor Show in 1998 . The press quickly christened the study with the obvious name Monaro, and the very positive reaction from the trade fair visitors prompted Holden to put the model into series production. Production of this Monaro V2 began in 2001; the development costs amounted to only 40 million euros, but the planned development time of 12 to 18 months was significantly exceeded by 22 months.

Rear of the Monaro V2

Holden Monaro VZ (2004-2005)

The third-generation Monaro was available (until mid-2004) as a CV6 with a 3.8-liter V6 with supercharger and as a CV8 with a 5.7-liter V8, each with a six-speed or four-speed automatic transmission. In early 2003, the Series 2 debuted with the dashboard of the contemporary Holden Commodore VY, rims in a new design and changes to the color palette. The CV6 only achieved about a tenth of the number of the eight-cylinder and was discontinued with the introduction of the 3 series in summer 2004. From the 1 series onwards, the Monaro-based GTO models (255–297 kW / 347–404 hp) were produced by HSV in small numbers ) and GTS (299 kW / 408 PS) with tuned 5.7-liter engines and aerodynamic attachments. The GTS was later deleted from the program and replaced by the Coupe4 with all-wheel drive.

There were also two special Monaro CV8-Rs as special series with upgraded equipment and other rims, in gray or red paintwork.

The most powerful Monaro ever was the HRT 427 , a coupe designed by HSV with a modified seven-liter V8 from the Chevrolet Corvette C5R racing version. Features of the two-seater HRT 427 also included a roll cage, racing chassis and brakes, and Ram Air cold air supply. With 420 kW (571 PS), the GTS reached 100 km / h in just under four seconds. Since the calculation was unfavorable, the project was dropped.

However, a GT version of the HRT 427 won the Bathurst 24 Hours in 2002 and 2003 against strong competition from Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini. In 2003, driver Peter Brock achieved his 10th long-distance victory in Bathurst - at the age of 60.

The third generation Monaro was also exported. In the Middle East it was available as the Chevrolet Lumina Coupé , in the USA as the Pontiac GTO and in the UK as the Vauxhall Monaro .

Complaints from the USA about the overly sleek styling of the Monaro / GTO meant that the bonnet was fitted with two air scoops from 2004 (on the Pontiac GTO from model year 2005). The hoods are only dummies (the GTO did not receive Ram Air, but functional hood scoops) and, in the eyes of the Australian trade press, spoiled the car. The Pontiac GTO of the model years 2005 and 2006 also received a six-liter V8 with 294 kW (400 hp); the same engine was used in the HSV GTO of the VZ series and in the Vauxhall Monaro VXR.

Production of the third generation Monaro ended on December 13, 2005, the last Pontiac GTO rolled off the assembly line on June 17, 2006.

The very last Monaro produced was auctioned on the Internet for around € 115,000, roughly three times its list price. The proceeds went to a leukemia foundation, and the car went to collectors.

Web links

Commons : Holden Monaro  - collection of images, videos and audio files

swell

• Automobile revue. Catalog numbers 1969 and 1973 (technical data).
• car models. Issue 1970/71 (data Monaro GTS 350).
• Ewan Kennedy: Holden. The Classic Models . Marque Publishing Company, Blakehurst 1997, ISBN 0-947079-55-6 .
• Terry Bebbington, Michel A. Malik: 45 Years of Holden. Australian Publishing and Printing Company, Sydney 1994, ISBN 0-947216-31-6 .
• Julie Thompson: Holden Special Vehicles 1988-2003 . Max Ellery Publications, 2004, ISBN 1-876720-08-5 .

Individual evidence

1. ^ The Holden Story . Brochure published by the factory, status 12/89, without pagination (p. 16ff.)
2. ^ The Holden Story . Brochure published by the factory, as of 12/89, without pagination (p. 32)
3. ^ The Holden Story . Brochure published by the factory, status 12/89, without pagination (p. 24ff.)