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.
Median 138 hp across 82 similar cars
Lead trim: 267 V8 (125 hp, 1979) · up to 170 hp
Chevrolet Monte Carlo third generation1978–1980
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Chevrolet Monte Carlo third 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.
FactGM'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.
Downsized for 1978, like all GM intermediates, in response to the 1973 Arab oil embargo and CAFE: 700–800 lb lighter and 15 inches shorter than the 1977 car but with more interior and trunk space. Designed by Dave McIntosh on the A-body (LS and SS versions), it offered a Buick 3.8 V6 as standard or an optional Chevrolet 3.3. 1979 was the last year Chevrolet offered a manual transmission on the Monte Carlo. For 1980 it got a mild frontal restyle with quad headlights, a standard Chevrolet 229 V6 and an optional Buick 3.8 turbo at 170 hp.
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
4 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 267 V8 (125 hp, 1979) | 1979–1980 | 4.4 L V8 | 125 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| 3.8 Buick turbo V6 (170 hp, 1980) | 1980–1980 | 3.8 L V6 | 170 hp | 265 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 305 V8 four-barrel (160 hp, 235 lbf⋅ft) | 1979–1980 | 5.0 L V8 | 160 hp | 235 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 305 V8 two-barrel (140 hp) | 1979–1980 | 5.0 L V8 | 140 hp | 240 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
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.
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