HQ Monaro Review Australia | Features, Specification, Performance

• Car Reviews,
• Jun 11, 2020

Being an Australian car manufacturing company, the Holden brand has a rich history that goes back to more than 100 years. The company is remarkably close to the heart of the Aussies and the cars that they have manufactured over the years have been popular in the country and on a global level.

 

The history of the Holden company can be traced back to its origin in 1856 when it was started as a saddlery manufacturer in South Australia. It was not long before the company moved into the car manufacturing business and became a subsidiary of the United States' biggest automotive company, General Motors. The company was known as General Motors-Holden back then, even building a model for Ford, and later renamed itself to Holden ltd in the late nineties.

 

Even though Holden has stopped the local manufacturing of all vehicles in the country and is only limited to importing vehicles under the name of GM Holden Ltd, the cars they have produced over the years still have a legendary reputation here. One such car is the Holden Monaro, which remains to this day one of the biggest successes for the company and which paved the path for two-door Australian muscle cars.

 

The Holden Monaro has been produced over three generations. The first two generations spanned almost 10 years, from the year 1968 until 1977, while the third generation revamped the Monaro series and produced a more modern version of the classic muscle from 2001 to 2005.

 

The Monaro came in both saloon and coupe variants, with rear-wheel drives, heavyweight engines, and manual transmissions. The first two generations were produced by General Motors-Holden. The last generation featured a limited-edition model, the CV8-Z and thus ended the legend of the Holden Monaro.

 

The body and the exterior that was applied to the Monaro remains to this day as an example for other car manufacturing companies to copy. Many brands around the world have used the same platform and body to implement on concept cars and various export models.

 

Even though the Monaro marketed a design that was unique and unlike anything else that was produced in Australia before, it still showed some similarity with some muscle cars produced by General Motors. For example, the ‘coke bottle’ employed in the Monaro is something which is found in the Corvair, Camaro, and the Nova coupes.

 

In this article, we will be looking at HQ Monaro, with a brief description of the previous generations and the specifications and features that make up this legendary car.

 

Background:

The HK Monaro was the starting of the whole series. The name Monaro is taken after the region of the same name in New South Wales. This marked the first generation of the series and started production in 1968. The coupe featured an innovative design with a two-door pillarless hardtop.

 

Initially, the HK was introduced in three variants: the base model, the HK Monaro GTS, and the GTS 327 version. These muscle cars were loaded with high performing engines; the GTS 327 came with a Chevrolet V8 engine, measured at 5,360 CC, producing an overwhelming 186 kW of power. The GTS 327 outputs a hefty 443 Nm of torque when you rev it up to 3200 rpm and can reach 0 to 100 mph in little over 7.6 seconds.

 

Continuing the legacy of the first generation of Monaro, the HT was introduced in 1969, which was a facelifted version of the previous car. The popular GTS 327 was replaced by the bigger and better GTS 350 due to the Chevrolet 350 engine. The engine boasts an output of 224 kW of power as opposed to the 186 kW and was basically manufactured to compete against the muscle car of that year, which was produced by Ford Motors, the XW Falcon GTHO.

 

The final car from the first generation featured some changes in the exterior and interior with little to no change in the mechanical specifications. The lines on the HG Monaro were cleaner, with badges featuring the ‘Monaro logo on both rear pillars. The GTS Monaro had a redesigned grille and cleaner tail lights, improving the overall outlook of the HG.

 

HQ Monaro Review:

The HQ Monaro marked the start of the manufacturing of the second generation of the Holden Monaro series from 1971 until 1977. It features a completely new design from the first generation of the series and was one of the most successful models that Holden sold in that decade.

 

The LS variant for the HQ Monaro, which was believed to mean Luxury Sports, is nothing short of impressive. The car features chrome trim rings and four headlights, with an enlarged engine and an improved V8 technology.

 

Some of the exterior features that were improved in the second generation include a squarer and a much larger rear window and supported a rectangular dual unit style, which made it one of the best looking designs to come from any Australian manufacturer.

 

Specifications:

The HQ Monaro received a 5.0-liter V8 engine and offers a four-speed manual transmission with a basic four-link rear suspension. This was the last time that the Chevrolet V8 was featured in this car, outputting an outstanding 202 kW of power and 488 Nm of torque. The engine also boasts emissions control.

 

The HQ reportedly completes the quarter-mile in just 15.7 seconds, even though there is plenty of wheelspin. The acceleration is exhilarating, even more so when you cross over 150 km/h.

 

The interior is well and truly isolated, with a clear view of the road and surroundings, plus the smooth and robust suspension make this a truly remarkable muscle car. The car’s groundbreaking design which will endure for years to come combined with the Chevy-engine and Aussie engineering makes the HQ Monaro one of the best vehicles you can get your hand on to.

 

Features:

Given that this was the second generation of the Monaro, the HQ offered many exciting features that were astounding, even with today’s standards. The car was equipped with bucket seats, ventilated disc brakes, and an optional power steering. Radial tires also came standard with the HQ Monaro.

 

Other features that were included in the standard include a GTS sports steering wheel, pressed steel sports wheels, and a turned metal dashboard that greatly enhanced the overall look of the car, giving it a sportier look than its previous variants.