The Chevy Monza doesn’t get much respect today, but back in 1977, it was marketed as a great little road-handler.
This week’s Throwback Thursday video features a commercial for the 1977 Chevrolet Monza. In this day and age, the Monza doesn’t get much respect, as it was perpetually overshadowed by the Camaro, but back in the late 1970s, American automakers were looking for new, fun-to-drive cars which would better compete with the smaller foreign competitors. The 1977 Camaro was ideal for someone who wanted a big, bruising muscle car (for the late 70s, anyway), but for the new car buyer back in 1977 who wanted a sporty Chevy which was smaller and more efficient – there was the Monza.
In 1977, the Chevy Monza was offered with the buyer’s choice of an 84 horsepower, 2.3L 4-cylinder or a 5.0L v8 with 145 horsepower – neither of which made the Monza particularly quick on the quarter mile. However, GM designed the Monza to handle a track with turns and this commercial shows the 1977 Chevy compact sports car in action on a road course.
In addition to showing the Monza Coupe and the Monza 2+2 playing a little cat and mouse on a road course, the narrator proclaims that the Monza is a car for people who believe that driving is America’s greatest outdoor sport.
This might all seem ridiculous in this day and age, with even the least powerful Camaro offering more than 1977 Monza with a V8, but this offers us an interesting look at how General Motors and Chevy tried to offer fun compacts back in the era following the American fuel crisis. The Monza might not be cool today, but back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, this small car was one of the best options for someone who wanted a small, fun Chevy.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
