Minneapolis Street Sighting: Chevrolet Monte Carlo

The name Monte Carlo conjures up different images to different folks; for some, the name invokes images of a treacherous historic rally race, and to others, the name brings about memories of the 1980s G-body and its NASCAR dominance. But Chevrolet's personal luxury coupe wasn't strictly about speed or racing by any stretch.Not by a long-shot.

When the Monte Carlo debuted, it was Chevrolet's answer to the spot between the Ford Thunderbird and Lincoln Mark series; filled with luxury appointments, but at an affordable price. It was the step below reaching anything with Buick-class luxury, but it was bigger than, say, a Chevrolet Chevelle. So it was neatly positioned for people who wanted to be able to buy an opulent vehicle from the same dealer that sold Corvettes; and sell, they did.

The name "Monte Carlo" was instantly recognizable, and just the name itself brings about easy recognition from all walks of life; Chevrolet, as a company, knew this, and that car ran until the rear-wheel-drive G body was dropped in 1988; however, in 1995, the nameplate was bought back--again on a luxury-oriented vehicle, despite being front-wheel-drive. Ultimately, the nameplate was canned after the 2007 model year, and there have been no signs of seeing the nameplate return. Quite a shame, because I think there is room to build a rear-wheel-drive luxury two-door and price it a bit higher than the Camaro.

I really like this one; everything is top-notch here; excellent color combination, and excellent wheels. I love that the paint is not only a neat shade, but the application looks tremendous as well. Normally, I would balk at older cars without much chrome, but here the minimalist approach works very well.
The Chevrolet Rallyes are the best wheels for this car, though I don't think it would look bad on any other set of modern wheels that weren't overly huge.

I especially like that even though this car has a show plate on the front, it does get driven daily in the summer. I have seen it numerous times, and can vouch for that. If you own a muscle car (even if it is geared toward the luxury end of the spectrum, what fun is it if it isn't driven? Apparently this owner thinks those same thoughts, and I applaud him for it.