At certain angles and with the light just so, a gen2 Monte Carlo can look downright bizarre, like the victim of a botched breast and hip augmentation.
From another angle, the problem is, well, not quite so severe. But no one will ever accuse it of being one of the more natural looking bodies.
91k miles…$2500
http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/cto/4750816888.html
If I had the garage space I’d show that Monte some love.
Wow! If I was local I would snap that up, even if just to flip. That seems seriously underpriced unless the photos are hiding something major. And it’s a great color and has the swivel buckets/console!
I’m also 50, and remember when these were so common as to be almost invisible. I never liked them, and always thought them ungainly and ludicrously proportioned…But good heavens the “personal luxury” class of car, with the Monte at the vanguard, certainly captured the market for a time in the 70s.
Yep, the Monte was a winner, and the catalyst for the imitator Ford Elite and then the Cordoba (and less well remembered 75 Fury coupe). They were all hugely successful. Like disco, though, when the fashion faded it went away fast. As a teenager yearning for BMWs and Alfas, it was easy to make fun of these beasts. Although I was intrigued (still am) by some of the imports’ efforts to cash in on the craze, such as the Mazda Cosmo, the 78+ “chest wig” 280ZX, gen 2 Celica/Supra, etc. The most bizarre interpretation of the craze, to me at least, was the chop-top Volvo 262C.
Those Volvo Bertone coupes were pricy yet sooooo gorgeous. And unloved…
As a 15-year owner of one of these, I have to comment. Of course it’s a bit over the top, but it’s also fun and as many are saying, was a big seller for a long time. I certainly get plenty of positive comments about it, and I don’t think there is an equal number of people who see it and are holding their tongues about how ugly they think it is! It was so popular that it was almost immediately copied. The Ford Elite (1974) and Chrysler Cordoba (1975) wouldn’t have existed or at least wouldn’t have looked anything like they did if not for the Monte Carlo they were reacting to. I do agree that the car has some bad angles (especially the rear) and the severe tumblehome can make the track look narrow and awkward from some angles. But overall it’s a winner to me. It doesn’t hurt that mine is lime green!
I think maybe you need to have grown up when the ’73-77 Monte was new (I was in kindergarten when these hit the streets) to “get” how normal and accepted, and aspired to it was at the time.
I knew someone in CC Land had this car, and I’m glad you chimed in. I would not have sought out your color back in the day, but I associate this with good ’70s memories. The daughter of the neighbors next door, about 10 years older than me, moved back in after a divorce. She would spend a lot of time in a bikini in the back yard, giving 15 year old me a great deal to think about. She drove your car.
For the record, my ’76 Cutlass was that popular pale yellow with the buckskin vinyl top. Not a color I sought, but as a used car, it was a loaded low mileage executive cruiser. Even the cops gave me compliments as they wrote tickets!
To me, the Cordoba was light years better looking than the MC, as usual for the styling Chrysler “copied”. A better term would be “perfected”, IMHO. And the green paint? Sorry, but.. oh hell no. That ruined even a good looking car.
Thanks for posting that picture of the green/white Monte Carlo. It is now my desktop. Somehow, the Monte Carlo managed to be luxurious, elegant, and sporty at the same time. I have looked long and hard on Craigslist for a ’70s personal luxury coupe, and they are all either trashed or customized beyond recognition. The Monte Carlo is very popular as a low rider, or worse yet, as the recipient of 40″ wheels. And as nice as I think the design is, the quality was not very good, and has not held up over time. Cars don’t rust here, but the sun destroys all the plastic and rubber, and the paint.
Yes, disco and polyester leisure suits were awful, but that doesn’t mean the cars were. IMO, the ’70s was the best decade for cars ever. Of course you can never top a ’57 Chevy Bel Air, but some beautiful cars were made in the ’70s. I’m wondering just how long this jelly bean look is going to last, or if cars will ever have style again. Seems like every generation has had it’s own look, but the current ovaloid egg shape is here to stay. And will there ever be 2 door cars again?
A little off topic, but I own a 1973 Ford Pinto Squire wagon. It is a light brown with simulated woodgrain panels. Completely original except for the eBay 8 track. Still solid as a rock and runs great after 41 years. Thinking about putting it on here.
Thank you! I used to own a Pinto, too!
Great picture, great car! Congratulations…
Quite like it from the front (the round-lamp cars of this generation have always looked bug-eyed to me), but quite *dis*like it from that back. That’s the angle where it does look somewhat…swollen.
Unlike the first generation which was a pleasure to behold, I was sick of this one the day it was introduced! Worse, it hung around so long, so, so long! Must be Mitchell was having a bad day!
Squishy photo from rear looks like a Mustang II, and shot from above in front looks like a Cordoba. Everyman’s lumpy-mobile?
I remember going to the Chevy dealer with my friend who was picking up a part for his Nova, and there was a brand new maroon MC sitting there, and we just laughed at it. All the ’73 GM Colonade cars were pretty sad, but the MC was the worst. We were dumbfounded when another friend of ours bought his first new car, a ’75 MC, maroon with a white vinyl top. We asked him, “Are you really 19, or 49?”. He didn’t see the humor in it, and wasn’t happy when his girlfriend at the time said, “Why did you buy this ugly ass car?” The pitiful thing of it all was he sold his really nice, rust free 1970 Chevelle SS to buy it. Almost 40 years later, the MC is a faint memory, the SS is truly missed. On top of that, the SS is still around here, looks like new. The guy who bought it from him still has it, 39 years later. Meanwhile, the friend is looking for a decent 68-70 Chevelle SS that he can afford to buy, Good luck.
I loved this car at 16, still love it at 55. Now that I can afford a decent car, there is nothing out there I want.
Obviously this is no match for a Chevelle SS, though I prefer the ’70-’72 model SS396 with the “cowl induction hood” Those were collectors items back when they were new.The Monte Carlo was just a great looking average ’70s car, which looks better than ever when compared to the junk available today.
These sold like hotcakes during the 70’s. Most buyers were single or just married couples or elderly owners who’s children were long moved out of the house. Rear seat legroom didn’t much matter. A roomy front seat, a large trunk, a smooth torquey V8 under hood and styling that stood out from the sedans were the attractions along with dressier interiors and the in vogue landau vinyl half tops. The 350 Chevy V8, which was most commonly ordered up to about 1976 was a solid engine and the 305 could be made into a decent mill when the soft factory cam and valve seals were ditched in favor of upgrades.
I think it’s a good idea to show what these cars looked like when they were fresh. They should be seen as a purchase choice that was a bit flamboyant and stylish at a time when many cars on the highways were tired leftovers from the 1960s and even cars from the 1950s weren’t at all rare.
And this
And this one too