Muscle Car Failure: The Chevrolet Monza
GM had high hopes for a new speedy hatchback that would change the game. But instead of making history, the Chevy Monza was one hot mess. So what happened?
Written by Elaine Duvet
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
In a time when most Americans were ready to move on from the muscle car era, the
Chevrolet
Monza was meant to be a new kind of sporty car. A trailblazer for a new age. The gorgeous subcompact had a vibrant name and endless potential, so why did it fall flat?
An answer to the competition
The official name for the hatchback was the Monza 2+2, whose sharp features are reminiscent of a Ferrari. The timeless vehicle was produced from 1975 to 1980 and drew inspiration from European
classic cars
. Based on the Chevrolet Vega, the Monza shares its width, wheelbase, and standard inline-four engine.
As far as dimensions, the Vega-derived Monza was a lot like the Ford Mustang II, but narrower in width and slightly longer. According to
MotorTrend
, “The nose featured quad headlights, two thin slits in place of a traditional grille, and flexible plastic cladding that minimized the visual impact of the 5-mph bumpers.”The small auto was based on the GM H-body series that we’ve seen in cars like the Buick Skyhawk and the Pontiac Sunbird. The base engine was a 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine with 87 hp. If you lived in California, a 5.7-liter V8 engine with 125 hp was available with automatic transmission.
Chevy paid close attention to how the competition modified its vehicles. According to MotorTrend, “Ford had added a V-8 to the Mustang II for 1975, and the Monza got one as well—an extra-small 4.3-liter (262 cid) version of Chevy's legendary small block, albeit with a paltry 110 horsepower.”
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So about that rotary engine…
A new Wankel rotary engine was supposed to be incorporated into the Chevrolet Monza.
In 1970, GM licensed the exciting technology and planned on debuting its own rotary engine in the 1974 Vega. But according to MotorTrend, “As development progressed, it became clear that the engine was not going to meet GM's requirements for durability, emissions or economy, the latter an especially big concern in the wake of the 1973-74 fuel crisis.”
Unfortunately, in the spring of 1974, GM announced the engine production delay and by the fall the program was canceled altogether. The company tried other power plants like the 5-liter V8 which was less than impressive thanks to new emissions laws.
The Town Coupe, a notchback version of the Monza was introduced by Chevy in 1975. At first, the car’s “front fascia differed completely from the 2+2's, with round headlight and a traditional grille and bumpers, but the coupe would eventually be offered with the 2+2's front end and vice-versa,” MotorTrend reports.
MORE: Why Some Say the Chevy Corsica Was the Worst Car Ever
Other ways to the Chevrolet Monza went wrong
The Monza just didn’t seem to fit in.
It was not quite big enough to be an American muscle car and too westernized to be
Japanese
. It also couldn’t be considered a proper sleeping wagon, nor did it possess the power and gusto to be a sports car. The rear-wheel-drive also did the vehicle a disservice when compared to cars in Monza’s class. And compared to other lightweight vehicles, the Chevy Monza lacked the power-to-weight advantages it should have for its size.
Though it was thought to be a possible Ford Camaro replacement, testers soon found that not to be the case.
However, Chevy was fully aware that the Monza wasn’t going to turn many heads on the track. According to MotorTrend, “a 1977 ad for the Monza noted, ‘Today's kind of driving demands today's kind of car… Because there's more to driving than speed..’”
Since Chevrolet received ample backing to create the Monza, we’re left to speculate if the car was a low priority for the automaker. And to wonder what marvel this car could have been, had it been given the time of day.
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