For one strange year, this 'mid-size' Monte Carlo was bigger in every dimension than Chevy's own full-size Caprice and Impala — the only time that's happened in Chevrolet's history.
Median 141 hp across 116 similar cars
Lead trim: 350 Turbo-Fire (145 hp, 1973) · up to 245 hp
Chevrolet Monte Carlo second generation1973–1977
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Chevrolet Monte Carlo second generation yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactFor one strange year, this 'mid-size' Monte Carlo was bigger in every dimension than Chevy's own full-size Caprice and Impala — the only time that's happened in Chevrolet's history.
Redesigned in 1973 as a pillared "Colonnade" coupé (no longer a hardtop) with rear opera windows, frameless door glass, an egg-crate grille, vertical taillights above a federally mandated 5 mph bumper, and a double-shell roof. The 1973 Monte Carlo was named Motor Trend's "Car of the Year" for its styling and Euro-style ride and handling, and set a Chevrolet record with nearly 250,000 sold. Its success and the Pontiac Grand Prix prompted rivals such as the revised Mercury Cougar, Ford Gran Torino Elite and Chrysler Cordoba. 305 to 454 V8s over the run; the 1973 figures are given here.
Collectors Spotted in the Chevrolet Monte Carlo Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Chevrolet Monte Carlo yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
3 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 350 Turbo-Fire (145 hp, 1973) | 1973–1973 | 5.7 L V8 | 145 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| 350 four-barrel (175 hp, 1973) | 1973–1973 | 5.7 L V8 | 175 hp | 260 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 454 Turbo-Jet four-barrel (245 hp, 1973) | 1973–1973 | 7.4 L V8 | 245 hp | 375 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
An estimate, for the 350 Turbo-Fire (145 hp, 1973) trim: fuel on its EPA figure and a dated national price, upkeep on a per-mile average for the kind of car it is.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
This generation's aggressive aero look came straight off the track — Chevy's stylists borrowed the ducktail spoiler and styling from NASCAR, based on the 1997 "Intimidator" concept car.
In LS trim, this Monte Carlo was the last mass-produced six-passenger two-door car sold in America — a front bench seat in a coupe, right at the end of that era.
Only 200 of this generation's Aerocoupe were built in 1986 — exactly the number NASCAR required before the shape could race.
GM's 1978 downsizing hit the Monte Carlo hard, in a good way: 700-800 lb lighter and 15 inches shorter than the 1977 model, yet it actually gained interior and trunk space.
For one strange year, this 'mid-size' Monte Carlo was bigger in every dimension than Chevy's own full-size Caprice and Impala — the only time that's happened in Chevrolet's history.
The Monte Carlo's faux-wood dash trim wasn't generic — Chevrolet's chief stylist had it made as a photographic reproduction of the actual elm trim used inside Rolls-Royces.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
The Celica XX, Japan's name for the A60 Supra, introduced the world's first in-car navigation computer.
The CTR Anniversary looks like a 911 but Ruf built its carbon monocoque from scratch, no Porsche body underneath.
The 228's coupe styling hides a sedan underneath: Maserati stretched it onto the longer four-door Biturbo chassis to make room for its biggest V6, which is literally where the name comes from — 2-door, 2.8 litre.
Switching to fuel injection let this V8 finally shed its trademark bonnet bulge — and only 405 of these flat-hooded Series 5 cars were built before the whole model retired in 1989.
Japanese buyers got a secret weapon in their MX-6 — the JDM-only KL-ZE V6 made about 40 more horsepower than the engine sold in the exact same car in North America.
An American tuner, Callaway Cars, built twin-turbo conversions of the GTV6 that boosted its V6 by fifty percent to 230 hp — turning Alfa's grand tourer into something far quicker than the factory ever intended.
Audi TTS Coupe · TTS Coupe (2016–2023) · 2016–2023.
A product of the DaimlerChrysler merger, the Crossfire shares 80% of its parts with the Mercedes-Benz SLK — German bones under American badges.