Chrysler fully redesigned the 1974 Monaco, new unibody and all — and the press's verdict was that it looked like a three-year-old Buick or Oldsmobile.
Median 89 hp across 202 similar cars
Lead trim: Monaco 318 cu in V8 (1977) · up to 150 hp
Dodge Monaco / Royal MonacoC-body (1974–1977) · 1974–1977
- 0spots by members
- Unclaimednobody has spotted one yet
- 0sets it belongs to
Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Dodge Monaco / Royal Monaco 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.
FactChrysler fully redesigned the 1974 Monaco, new unibody and all — and the press's verdict was that it looked like a three-year-old Buick or Oldsmobile.
The full-size C-body 1974 Dodge Monaco was completely redesigned with an all-new unibody platform and sheet metal, though the 1973 oil crisis began within days of its introduction. The Polara and Polara Custom were discontinued after 1973, replaced by the Monaco and Monaco Custom, and the previous Monaco was renamed Monaco Brougham (the Brougham name having been a luxury option package from 1969 to 1973); fixed headlamps replaced the hidden headlamps of the previous models. The standard engine on all Monacos was a 360 cu in (5.9 L) with a 2-barrel carburetor, with options of a 360 with a 4-barrel, a 400 cu in (6.6 L) with a 2- or 4-barrel and a 440 cu in (7.2 L) with a 4-barrel. For 1975 the Monaco Custom was renamed the Royal Monaco and the Monaco Brougham the Royal Monaco Brougham, with hidden headlamps; 1975 was the last year of the four-door hardtop, and a limited-production Diplomat package for Royal Monaco Brougham coupes (a landau vinyl roof with opera windows and a wide steel roof band) was offered in only three colors. The car weighed over two tons with a top speed of 127 mph. For 1976 exterior changes were minimal, all models now had the former high-series front panel with hidden headlights, and Chrysler's new Lean Burn system was introduced on the 400 cubic inch engine only; a 318 cu in (5.2 L) with a two-barrel carburetor and 150 bhp became standard on the base Monaco, the Royal Monaco Broughams and wagons were downgraded to a 2-barrel 400, the Royal Monaco continued with the 2-barrel 360, and the 4-barrel 440 could still be ordered. For 1977 the Monaco was effectively split into two lines, the Royal Monaco retaining the full-size C-platform alongside the Chrysler New Yorker (in standard and Brougham trims, as a two-door hardtop, four-door sedan and five-door station wagon) while the standard Monaco replaced the Coronet on the B-platform; the 318 V8 became the standard engine for the first time, with the 360 (two-barrel) and 400 remaining available outside California and the 440 offered as an option, and a 3-speed automatic the only transmission. The Royal Monaco was discontinued for 1978 as Chrysler offered the C-platform only through its namesake division.
Collectors Spotted in the Dodge Monaco Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Dodge Monaco yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
5 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monaco 318 cu in V8 (150 bhp, 1976) | 1976–1976 | 5.2 L V8 | 150 hp | 255 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Monaco 318 cu in V8 (1977) | 1977–1977 | 5.2 L V8 | 145 hp | 245 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Monaco 360 cu in V8 (1974–1977) | 1974–1977 | 5.9 L V8 | — | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| Monaco 400 cu in V8 (1974–1977) | 1974–1977 | 6.6 L V8 | — | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| Monaco 440 cu in V8 (1974–1977) | 1974–1977 | 7.2 L V8 | — | — | — | 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 Monaco exists because of fine print: buying AMC obligated Chrysler to use 260,000 PRV V6 engines, and the Renault-based Monaco helped burn through the quota.
This Monaco kept its name but lost its platform: for 1977 Chrysler simply moved the badge onto the smaller B-body, in name only.
Chrysler fully redesigned the 1974 Monaco, new unibody and all — and the press's verdict was that it looked like a three-year-old Buick or Oldsmobile.
For $50, a 1969 Monaco buyer could option a third headlamp: "Super-Lite," the first modern projector-style road lamp, built jointly by Chrysler and Sylvania.
The '65 Monaco's cabin went full lounge: bucket seats front and rear, a contoured package tray, and rattan wicker trim on the doors — upscale touches nobody expected on a full-size Dodge.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
It briefly served as senior sibling to Marquette, a GM companion brand cancelled after just one year.
Nissan hired former BMW engineers to help develop the 510's suspension, which is why period reviewers frequently compared its handling to the BMW 1600/2002.
A Trabant 601 won its class at the 1970 Monte Carlo Rally, with a second 601 right behind it in second.
The 600 was a stopgap: the P50's body over the 601's mechanicals, and for a while its estate was built alongside the new 601 saloon.
The G80 Sport brought a 370 PS twin-turbo 3.3 V6, a mesh grille and copper-tinted chrome with copper stitching to match.
The Vigor was sold only with a five-cylinder engine, an unusual configuration Honda used to fit a longer engine transversely under a short hood.
The GS/E coupe earned the nickname "German Charger" for its long hood, short deck stance borrowed from Detroit muscle cars.
This DeVille/Fleetwood was the first production car anywhere to mount its V8 sideways, Cadillac's front-drive gamble on the new C-body.