Holden Monaro History
History
The Holden Monaro launched in July 1968 on the HK platform as a pillarless two-door hardtop coupe, Holden's answer to the American muscle-car boom. The GTS variants offered increasingly potent V8 engines — the HK GTS 327 used a Chevrolet 327 V8, upgraded to a 350 V8 in the HT Monaro. The HK Monaro gave Holden its first outright victory in the Bathurst 500 that year.
The Monaro ran through the HT, HG (1970–1971), and then the HQ, HJ, HX, and HZ series (1971–1977), growing in size as the platform evolved. The second generation's final HZ-based car marked the end of the original Monaro era in 1977 after nearly a decade of production.
After a 24-year absence, the Monaro returned in 2001 on the VX Commodore platform as the CV8 — a rear-drive coupe with the 5.7-litre LS1 V8, also exported to the US as the Pontiac GTO for 2004–2006. This revival Monaro was built through 2006 before being discontinued alongside its VZ-based final version.
Generations
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First generation (HK–HG) · HK / HT / HG
The original muscle coupe — pillarless hardtop, V8-powered, Bathurst winner in its debut year.
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Second generation (HQ–HZ) · HQ / HJ / HX / HZ
Grown on the HQ platform; offered GTS V8 versions until the Monaro name was retired in 1977.
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Third generation (VX / VY / VZ) · CV6 / CV8
Photo: “2004 Holden V2 Monaro CV8 (22287863349).jpg” by GPS 56 from New Zealand / Wikimedia Commons , licensed under CC BY 2.0 . Cropped to 16:9.
The 2001 revival — an LS1 V8 coupe also sold in the US as the Pontiac GTO.
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2003 Photo: “2003 Holden Monaro CV8 (17120734919).jpg” by GPS 56 from New Zealand / Wikimedia Commons , licensed under CC BY 2.0 . Cropped to 16:9.
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2004 Photo: “2004 Holden V2 Monaro CV8 (22287863349).jpg” by GPS 56 from New Zealand / Wikimedia Commons , licensed under CC BY 2.0 . Cropped to 16:9.
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Body styles
- Coupe
- Hardtop
Notable special editions & performance variants
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GTS 327 / GTS 350
Top-performance HK–HG Monaros with a Chevrolet 327 (later 350) V8; the HK GTS won Bathurst in 1968.
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CV8 (LS1 V8)
The 5.7-litre LS1 V8 version of the revival Monaro — became the Pontiac GTO in the US for 2004–2006.
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CV8-Z (LS2 V8)
The final Monaro, upgraded to the 6.0-litre LS2 V8 (equivalent to the 2005–2006 Pontiac GTO engine).
Related models