1969-1978

The 1970 Monte Carlo (introduced in Sept 1969) was built on the same platform as Pontiac’s new Grand Prix. Sharing a similarly long bonnet with the Grand Prix, the Monte Carlo was distinguished by a chromed rectangular grille and single headlights as opposed to the Grand Prix’s duals. Standard powertrain was the 2bbl 350 cubic inch small block V8 rated at 250 hp. Dashboard and instruments were identical to the Chevelle except for fake wood trim. Base price was $3,123 – well below other personal luxury cars of the time. Most buyers optioned the car heavily, adding power accessories such as steering, brakes and windows. Interior dress up kits offered bucket seats, center console, full instrumentation and power seats. When so optioned – Monte Carlo price could easily exceed $5000.

Optional engines included the 4bbl Turbo-Fire 350 V8 rated at 300 hp, the 2bbl Turbo-Fire 400 rated at 265 hp, and the 4bbl Turbo-Jet 400 (402 cubic inch) rated at 330 hp. The two Chevrolet 400 CID V8s offered were actually different designs. The Turbo-Fire 400 was a Small Block V8 similar to the 350, while the Turbo-Jet 400 was a slightly enlarged version of the 396 big block with actual displacement of 402 cubic inches.

The big daddy option was the SS-454 package. Priced at $420, it included the 4bbl Turbo-Jet 454 cubic inch V8 rated at 360 hp. It also included heavy-duty suspension, wider tires, ‘SS 454’ badges and automatic load-leveling rear suspension. The Turbo Hydra-Matic three-speed automatic was the only transmission available. The SS-454 package was discontinued after 1971, though the 454 engine remained on the option list until 1975.

As performance decreased, Chevrolet added more luxury features to the Monte Carlo option list as the 1970s progressed. Minor styling changes came and went, with ‘stacked quads’ introduced for 1976 giving the Monte Carlo a fresh new look that lasted until the completely new, downsized Monte Carlo released for 1979 – of which the less said, the better…