Final full-size, 1974–1977[]
The 1974 model year Dodge was completely redesigned with an all-new unibody platform and all-new sheet metal. However, the new cars debuted at precisely the wrong time. Within days of their introduction, the 1973 oil crisis began and, suddenly, big cars became the pariahs of the auto industry. Chrysler was excoriated in the media for bringing out huge new cars, and sales suffered accordingly. In truth, it was just bad timing, as the new Monacos were very good cars, but they had been designed for a different era, and they quickly faded away.
As mentioned above, for 1974, the long-running Polara and Polara Custom models were discontinued. They were replaced by a basic Monaco and Monaco Custom respectively. The previous Monaco was renamed Monaco Brougham. The Brougham name had long been used on the luxury option package which was available from 1969 to 1973. Gone were the hidden headlamps of the previous models, replaced by fixed headlamps on all Monacos, but that would change.
For the 1975 model year, changes to the base Monaco were minimal. However, the Monaco Custom was renamed the Royal Monaco, and the Monaco Brougham became the Royal Monaco Brougham. These newly named models featured (as Monacos had in 1972 and ’73) concealed headlamps. 1975 would be the last year that the four-door hardtop would be available. After the start of the 1975 model year, a limited production option for Royal Monaco Brougham coupes was introduced. The Diplomat package featured a landau vinyl roof with opera windows and a wide steel roof band.
Changes to the 1976 model would be minimal, and the virtually unchanged 1977 models (except for bumper corner tip radius details) proved to be the last true full-size Dodges. However, all full-size models were Royal Monacos for ’77, as the mid-size Coronet was renamed Monaco.
The 1974-1977 Monacos received star treatment as the Bluesmobile in the 1980 feature film The Blues Brothers, directed by John Landis. In it, a 1974 Monaco which was formerly a police cruiser is purchased by Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd) and used as the brothers’ transportation. Jake, just released from prison, disapproves of the vehicle, but Elwood states its technical specifications as «It’s got a cop motor, a 440-cubic-inch plant. It’s got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks. It’s a model made before catalytic converters so it’ll run good on regular gas.» Monacos from 1975-77 are also featured as Illinois State Trooper cars and Chicago city police cars.
Четвертое поколение (1977 — 1978)
| Dodge Monaco четвертого поколения | |
| Dodge Monaco Police с 1977 года. | |
| отметка | уклоняться |
|---|---|
| Годы производства | — 1978 гг. |
| Класс | Дорога |
| Двигатель и трансмиссия | |
| Энергия | Бензин |
| Мотор (ы) | L6 (3,7 л) Slant-6 V8 (от 5,2 л до 7,2 л) B |
| Положение двигателя | Продольный перед |
| Смещение | От 3700 до 7200 см 3 |
| Передача инфекции | Движение |
| Коробка передач | 3–4-ступенчатая механическая 3-ступенчатая автоматическая |
| Шасси — Кузов | |
| Тело (а) | 4-дверный седан 2-дверное купе 5-дверный универсал |
| Рамка | B-тело |
| Хронология моделей | |
Dodge Monaco седан
1977 г.
1977 год принес ряд изменений в модельный ряд Dodge Monaco, давние последствия энергетического кризиса 1973-1974 годов, в частности, когда Chrysler решил переместить Dodge Monaco в зарегистрированной форме с платформы. Форма C (дорога ) до среднего размера кузова B в начале 1977 года. Весь модельный ряд Dodge Monaco 1977 года претерпел изменения. Из-за ряда изменений, имевших место в конце прошлого года (с 1976 года) и в начале 1977 года, весь модельный ряд Dodge Monaco 1977 года был несколько переработан. Dodge Monaco C-Body 1976 года (дорожный) всего на один год стал Dodge Royal Monaco C-Body 1977 года, пока его производство не было прекращено в конце 1977 года. Четырехдверный седан и четырехдверный универсал Dodge Monaco 1977 года. Средняя платформа B пришла на смену седану Coronet и четырехдверному универсалу прошлого года. Четырехдверный седан Додж Монако Брум 1977 года пришел на смену четырехдверному седану Коронет Брум в прошлом году. Универсал Dodge Monaco Crestwood 1977 года заменил универсал Coronet Crestwood предыдущего года. Однако Dodge Monaco 1977 года, судя по всем маркетинговым практикам, мало изменился по сравнению с Coronet 1976. Dodge Monaco 1977 года получил пересмотренный дизайн передней части со сложенными прямоугольными фарами. Поскольку в эти годы корпорация Chrysler находилась в тяжелом финансовом положении, оставалось совсем немного, чтобы придать модельному ряду Dodge Monaco 1977 года новый облик, поэтому модификации должны были быть минимальными и недорогими.
1978 г.
В 1978 году модель Dodge Monaco среднего размера 1978 года B-платформа осталась неизменной по сравнению с предыдущим модельным годом. Он стал самым большим автомобилем Dodge в 1978 модельном году. Производство Dodge Monaco было прекращено в конце 1978 модельного года. Автомобили с платформой B продолжали выпускаться в виде Dodge Magnum до 1979 года.
Отказ и возобновление имени
После распада Monaco в конце 1978 года он оставался неиспользованным в течение следующих одиннадцати лет (с 1979 по 1989 год), пока не был возвращен в строй через двенадцать лет после трехлетнего производства. (С 1990 по 1992 год) как обновленная версия Eagle Premier . Dodge Monaco 1978 года был заменен в 1979 году на Dodge St. Regis (дорожный), использующий платформу Chrysler R (небольшая модификация платформы B). Хотя St. Regis меньше, чем Royal Monaco 1977 года, он оставался самым большим четырехдверным седаном, произведенным американским автопроизводителем. Пытаясь конкурировать с совершенно новыми моделями General Motors и Ford, продажи St. Regis в значительной степени поддерживались автопарком, особенно автомобилями правоохранительных органов. После 1981 года производство St. Regis было прекращено в пользу Diplomat, став самым длинным седаном с колесной базой, производимым Chrysler, пока не дебютировал Dodge Magnum в 2005 году.
A Grand Prix competitor
The Dodge Monaco was originally intended to compete with the Pontiac Grand Prix model in what came to be known as the personal luxury market. Introduced on September 25, 1964, the 1965 Monaco was based on the Custom 880 two door hardtop coupe body. The Monaco received special badging, different taillight and grille treatment, and a sportier interior with a full-length center console, as well as a 383 cu in (6.3 L) 315 hp (235 kW) V8 engine as standard equipment. Larger, more powerful engines were also available as options.
Chrysler Canada Ltd. fielded a Dodge Monaco which was Dodge’s version of the Plymouth Sport Fury in Canada. It was available in hardtop coupe or convertible body styles. However, Canadian Monacos were equipped with Plymouth dashboards in 1965 and 1966. Unlike the American Monaco, the Canadian Monaco could be had with the 318 cu in (5.2 L) V8 or even the slant six.
Taking over for the Custom 880[]
For 1966, in the U.S., the Monaco replaced the Custom 880 series and the former Monaco became the Monaco 500. The basic Monaco was available in hardtop coupe, 4-door (pillarless) hardtop sedan, conventional 4-door (pillared) sedan, and 4-door station wagon bodystyles. In the U.S., the Monaco 500 was available only as a hardtop coupe. The Canadian Dodge hung onto the «Monaco» name for the Sport Fury equivalent and Polara 880 for the Fury III competitor.
For 1967, all full-sized Dodges, the Monaco included, would receive a significant face-lift with all-new exterior sheet metal. The Elwood Engel school of design was in full force, featuring generally flat, even boxy, body planes, with sharp-edged accent lines. The hardtop coupes would adopt a new semi-fastback roofline with a reverse slanted rear quarter window.
In Canada, the Monaco name was finally applied for ’67 to all of the premium full-sized Dodge products (sedans, coupes, and station wagons), replacing the Polara 880 at the top of the Dodge line. Taking the Monaco’s place as a premium full-size model was the Monaco 500, which was available only as a two-door hardtop and convertible.
Changes would be minimal for 1968. Dodge would discontinue the Monaco 500 model at the end of the 1968 model run in the United States and at the end of the 1970 model run in Canada.
Downsized: The 1977–1978 Monaco[]
As a lingering result of the 1973-74 energy crisis, Chrysler decided to shift the Monaco nameplate to the mid-size B platform for 1977. The «new» 1977 mid-sized Monaco replaced the previous Coronet 4-door sedan, 4-door station wagon and Charger hardtop coupe. The Monaco Brougham replaced the previous Coronet Brougham 4-door sedan and Charger Sport hardtop coupe, while the Monaco Crestwood station wagon replaced the previous Coronet Crestwood. The Charger S.E., which at this point became the sole Charger still available, continued unchanged.
The «new» Monacos, for all of the marketing hype, were little-changed from the Coronets which had gone before. A revised front-end design with stacked rectangular quad headlamps gave the cars a resemblance to the contemporary Chevrolet Monte Carlo when viewed head-on. With Chrysler Corporation in dire financial straits during these years, there was little that could be done to give the cars a fresh look, so changes had to be minimal and as inexpensive as possible.
The 1977 and 1978 models can be seen as the police vehicles in the 1980-1985 seasons of The Dukes of Hazzard. Large numbers were bought and then suffered ignominious ends, destroyed in stunt crashes but due to the toughness of the design, were often repaired and reused repeatedly.
Downsized: The 1977-78 Monaco
As a lingering result of the 1973-74 energy crisis, Chrysler decided to shift the Monaco nameplate to the mid-size B platform for 1977. The «new» 1977 mid-sized Monaco replaced the previous Coronet 4-door sedan, 4-door station wagon and Charger hardtop coupe. The Monaco Brougham replaced the previous Coronet Brougham 4-door sedan and Charger Sport hardtop coupe, while the Monaco Crestwood station wagon replaced the previous Coronet Crestwood. The Charger S.E., which at this point became the sole Charger still available, continued unchanged.
The «new» Monacos, for all of the marketing hype, were little-changed from the Coronets which had gone before. A revised front-end design with stacked rectangular quad headlamps gave the cars an uncomfortable resemblance to the contemporary Chevrolet Monte Carlo when viewed head-on. With Chrysler Corporation in dire financial straits during these years, there was little that could be done to give the cars a fresh look, so changes had to be minimal and as inexpensive as possible.
The 1977 and 1978 models can be seen as the police vehicles in the 1980-1985 seasons of The Dukes of Hazzard.
Примечания и ссылки
- Джон Ганнелл, Стандартный каталог американских автомобилей 1946-1975 гг., 4- е издание, стр. 350
- Джон Ганнелл, Стандартный каталог американских автомобилей 1946–1975 гг., Переработанное 4-е издание, стр. 350.
- (8.60 МБ)
- ↑ и « Новые автомобили: Chrysler 383 », Motorpress , Кейптаун, Южная Африка, т. 7, п о 5,Сентябрь 1969, стр. 29
- Келли Флори, American Cars, 1973–1980 гг.
- ↑ и
- ↑ and
- ↑ и « Разработка новых автомобилей — AMC / Renault », Popular Mechanics , т. 164, п о 10,Октябрь 1987 г., стр. 138-139
(fr) Эта статья частично или полностью взята из статьи в Википедии на английском языке под названием « Dodge Monaco » ( см. список авторов ) .
|
Хронология туристических моделей Dodge с 1980 по 1999 гг. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
График выпуска моделей Dodge Touring с 2000 г. по настоящее время |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Grand Prix competitor[]
The Dodge Monaco was originally intended to compete with the Pontiac Grand Prix model in what came to be known as the personal luxury market. Introduced on September 25, 1964, the 1965 Monaco was based on the Custom 880 two-door hardtop coupe body. The Monaco received special badging, different taillights and grille treatment, and a sportier interior with a full-length center console, as well as a 383 cu in (6.28 L) 315 hp (235 kW) V8 engine as standard equipment. Larger, more powerful engines were also available as options.
Chrysler Canada Ltd. fielded a Dodge Monaco which was Dodge’s version of the Plymouth Sport Fury in Canada. It was available in hardtop coupe or convertible body styles. However, Canadian Monacos were equipped with Plymouth dashboards in 1965 and 1966. Unlike the American Monaco, the Canadian Monaco could be had with the 318 cu in (5.21 L) V8 or even the slant six.
Revival, 1990-1992
In 1987, Chrysler purchased the assets of American Motors, mostly for the Jeep brand. However, along with Jeep came the new Eagle brand of cars, which were a mix of models designed and produced by Renault and Mitsubishi Motors. As part of the purchase, Chrysler agreed to purchase a set number of Renault drivetrains for use in the Eagle Premier.
It soon became obvious to Chrysler management that there was no way that the Premier alone would sell in sufficient numbers to meet the requirements of the Renault contract. Chrysler needed to find a way to take care of this problem as quickly and cheaply as possible. Company executives soon figured that the only way to fulfill their obligation was to create another model using as many Premier parts as possible.
With Dodge being the company’s highest-volume division (and despite the fact that Dodge already had a large front-wheel-drive car in the Dynasty), it was decided to give the new rebadged Premier to Dodge. The Monaco name was revived for the car, which differed from the Premier only in its crosshair grille, different taillights and badging. The car became Dodge’s top-of-the-line model and replaced the rear-wheel drive Diplomat, which was discontinued after the 1989 model year.
Despite Dodge’s larger dealer network, even fewer Monacos were sold than Premiers. To almost no one’s surprise, the similarly-sized yet less technically-sophisticated K-car based Dynasty, which had been introduced only two years earlier as a 1988 model, vastly outsold the new Monaco. Fleet buyers (mainly rental companies and governments) liked the fact that the Dynasty could be equipped with any of three different engines and sold for a lower price. The Monaco, on the other hand, despite being very roomy, came with only one engine and was considerably more expensive.
Despite its clean lines and high level of sophistication and equipment, the Monaco simply failed to gain wide acceptance from a public that was already wary of the reliability of previous French-designed AMC cars. The Premier and Monaco did indeed suffer from significant mechanical and electrical problems related to the mandated Renault-based components, which only cemented their poor reputation.
Interestingly, even though the Monaco was built at the Brampton, Ontario plant alongside the Premier, the Monaco was never sold in Canada. At that time, the Mitsubishi Galant-based 2000GTX was Dodge’s top-line sedan in that market. The Monaco (and, for that matter, the Premier as well) was discontinued during the 1992 model year and dismissed by many outside of Chrysler as a market failure.
That would not be the end, however. The French-designed platform, its state of the art manufacturing plant, and the key executive from American Motors behind the Premier/Monaco design, Francois Castaing, would form the key points to what many assumed was a completely new design, the very successful and highly rated «cab-forward» LH Dodge Intrepid, Chrysler Concorde and Eagle Vision in late 1992 when production resumed at Brampton Assembly.
В кинотеатре
Dodge Monaco, используется в качестве полицейского автомобиля в в Соединенных Штатах , был популяризировал кино , в частности, фильм The Blues Brothers , где 1974 модель (позже получившая название Bluesmobile ) используется Джейк и Элвуд Блюз во время различных судебных с полиции, и в этом фильме Dodge Monaco оснащен двигателем 7,2 л — самым большим рабочим объемом, который когда-либо была у этой модели.
Десятки Монако (или его близнеца, Plymouth Fury ) были уничтожены в Голливуде в сценах трюков с полицейскими машинами между 1970-ми и 1980-ми годами . В частности, телесериал « Шериф, напугай меня» известен большим количеством Dodge Monaco, использованных (и уничтоженных) в различных эпизодах (особенно урожаев 74-75 и 77-78).
Отметим также появление модели Dodge Monaco 1977 года в детективном сериале « Рик Хантер», в котором инспектор Хантер уничтожит несколько моделей из 78, прежде чем навсегда перейти на Crown Victoria 1991 в течение последнего сезона.
The Dodge St. Regis[]
The Monaco nameplate disappeared at the end of the 1978 model year. Both the mid-sized Monaco and the full-sized Royal Monaco were replaced by the St. Regis for the 1979 model year.
Available in only a single bodystyle, a four-door pillared sedan with frameless door windows, the St. Regis was marketed and priced as a full-sized car. It was also considered to be a full-sized car by the United States Environmental Protection Agency based on its passenger compartment and trunk volumes. In size, it was comparable to, but typically larger than, the competing downsized full-sized models from GM and Ford.
Stylewise, from the side, the St. Regis looked nearly identical to the concurrent Chrysler Newport and Plymouth Gran Fury (which debuted for 1980). Only from the front and rear could one tell the three apart. The St. Regis, arguably, had the most stylish front end, with headlamps mounted behind swing-away plexiglas doors. It was nothing if not bold.
As if the new car needed any further handicaps against the competition, which rode on all-new platforms, the St. Regis (along with Chrysler’s Newport and Plymouth Gran Fury) was built, by necessity, on basically the same unibody platform as the old B platform Monaco, although the new car was slightly longer in both wheelbase and overall length. This basic platform, which had been rechristened the R-body, dated to Virgil Exner’s «plucked chicken» 1962 Dodges and Plymouths. To be fair, it had been updated several times and, despite its age, was still a very competent chassis.
While it never came close to matching the Monaco it replaced in sales to the general public, the St. Regis did relatively well as a police car. In fact, after its first year, the vast majority of St. Regis sales were to law enforcement agencies. However, even those sales couldn’t save the car, which, along with its Chrysler and Plymouth siblings, was killed off halfway through the 1981 model year.
Taking over for the Custom 880
For 1966, in the U.S., the Monaco replaced the Custom 880 series and the former Monaco became the Monaco 500. The basic Monaco was available in hardtop coupe, 4-door (pillarless) hardtop sedan, conventional 4-door (pillared) sedan, and 4-door station wagon bodystyles. In the U.S., the Monaco 500 was available only as a hardtop coupe. The Canadian Dodge hung onto the «Monaco» name for the Sport Fury equivalent and Polara 880 for the Fury III competitor.
For 1967, all full-sized Dodges, the Monaco included, would receive a significant face-lift with all-new exterior sheet metal. The Elwood Engel school of design was in full force, and looked great on these full-sized Dodges. The hardtop coupes would adopt a new semi-fastback roofline with a reverse slanted rear quarter window.
In Canada, the Monaco name was finally applied for ’67 to all of the premium full-sized Dodge products (sedans, coupes, and station wagons), replacing the Polara 880 at the top of the Dodge line. Taking the Monaco’s place as a premium full-size model was the Monaco 500, which was available only as a two-door hardtop and convertible.
Changes would be minimal for 1968. Dodge would discontinue the Monaco 500 model at the end of the 1968 model run in the United States and at the end of the 1970 model run in Canada.
Автомобиль появился во времена расцвета американского автопрома, быстро взлетел в рейтингах, а затем как будто пропал с радаров.
Середину двадцатого века называют расцветом американского автопрома. Зачастую, сделанные на одинаковых рамах и с одинаковыми двигателями автомобили воспринимались публикой, как нечто изысканное и необычное. А кроме того, три главных гиганта американского автомобилестроения GM, Ford и Chrysler шли на любые меры, чтобы завоевать новых клиентов, которые буквально требовали все более мощные и габаритные автомобили. Сегодня «Автопарус» расскажет об этой из легенд золотого времени для американских автомобилей – Dodge Monaco.
Четкая позиция и линейка
К 50м-годам прошлого века только у двух американских гигантов – GM и Ford – сформировалось четкое представление о том, что требует клиент и поэтому их линейки и позиции на рынки четко прослеживались. А вот у Chrysler дела обстояли несколько иначе. Топ-менеджмент позволил дочерним компаниям вроде Dodge, DeSoto, Imperial, Chrysler и Plymouth выпускать собственные модели, причем все они были сконструированы одними и теми же инженерами. Из-за похожести друг на друга головная компания теряла огромные деньги от потери продаж.
Еще больше компанию Chrysler покачнул тот факт, что из-за буквально созданного из ничего супер-бренда Imperial, собственные автомобили начали получаться дешевле и меньше. Как следствие, первым крах потерпела компания DeSoto. Заполнить пробелы предстояло Dodge.
-
Первые попытки Dodge
Первой попыткой восстановить позиции на рынке стал Castom 880. Это полноразмерный автомобиль средней ценовой категории, который вроде как и имел популярность, но выпуск шел всего три года, поэтому реальную оценку провести невозможно. А в 1965 году появился Dodge Monaco – флагман дочерней компании.
Dodge Monaco получил все варианты кузова: универсал, седан, купе, кабриолет. Но интересно другое: несколько поколений автомобилей существовало, можно сказать, отдельно друг от друга. Первоначально с 1965 по 1977 год компания делала большой упор на увеличение размеров кузова и мощностей двигателей, а буквально перед самым разгаром топливного кризиса платформу уменьшили и попали в самую точку.
-
Начало конца
В 1965 году на свет появился первый Dodge Monaco. Автомобиль, представленный публике получился очень удачным: большие габариты, высокая мощность, изысканность дизайна. Примечательно, что именно у этой модели была своя эмблема, не как у других автомобилей Dodge. Ежегодно вплоть до 1977 года дизайнеры компании постоянно обновляли внешний вид авто, например, фары то и дело меняли размеры.
Особенно Dodge Monaco приглянулся полиции, потому что автомобиль был действительно мощным и комфортным, а кроме того, имел плавный ход и вместительные размеры. Если говорить об универсале, то семьи активно его покупали. Увы, экономии топлива ждать не приходилось – эти авто буквально «ели» бензин.
В 1979 году автомобиль буквально переродили, но не просто увеличив размеры, а еще и в отдельный бренд – St. Regis. Кроме того, головной компании Chrysler удалось получить контракт на поставку этих автомобилей в кузове седан для полиции и военно-морского флота США. Однако в Калифорнии, главным заказчиком Chrysler оставались только отдельные подразделения полиции, которые занимаются патрулированием дорог. Как раз в это же время вступил в силу закон, который жестко ограничивал потребление топлива и выбросов СО2 в атмосферу. Снижение мощности двигателя, вызвало падение популярности автомобилей у полиции – на них было не угнаться за нарушителями скоростного режима.
-
Исключительные цели
В исключительных целях правительство одобрило доработку автомобилей Chrysler и замену «законных» двигателей на более мощные, но обратный ход повлиял на надежность легенды. В итоге Калифорния просто взяла и отказалась от всех моделей, закупив более «прочные» и мощные Ford Mustang.
К 1981 году Dodge Monaco полностью сняли с производства из-за нерентабельности. Несмотря на огромную популярность первых выпусков и даже смены названия на St. Regis на некоторое время, все равно от автомобилей-легенд пришлось отказаться.
Стоит заметить, что до сих пор Dodge Monaco является самым большим седаном компании, который выпускался серийно. Да и не только Dodge, а большого семейства Chrysler. Кстати, Dodge Monaco стал героем многих кинолент, например, фильма «Братья Блюз» (там его называли «бетмобилем»), также авто часто появлялся в кадрах сериала CHiPs, который посвящен работе полиции.
-
The St. Regis takes over … and fails
The Monaco nameplate disappeared at the end of the 1978 model year. Both the mid-sized Monaco and the full-sized Royal Monaco were replaced by the St. Regis for the 1979 model year.
Available in only a single bodystyle, a four-door pillared hardtop sedan with frameless door windows, the St. Regis was marketed and priced as a full-sized car. It was also considered to be a full-sized car by the United States Environmental Protection Agency based on its passenger compartment and trunk volumes. In size, it was comparable to, but typically larger than, the competing downsized full-sized models from GM and Ford.
Stylewise, from the side, the St. Regis looked nearly identical to the concurrent Chrysler Newport and Plymouth Gran Fury (which debuted for 1980). Only from the front and rear could one tell the three apart. The St. Regis, arguably, had the most stylish front end, with headlamps mounted behind swing-away plexiglas doors. It was nothing if not bold, but the rest of the car was, to many eyes, a disappointment.
As if the new car needed any further handicaps against the competition, which rode on all-new platforms, the St. Regis (along with Chrysler’s Newport and Plymouth Gran Fury) was built, by necessity, on basically the same unibody platform as the old B platform Monaco, although the new car was slightly longer in both wheelbase and overall length. This basic platform, which had been rechristened the R-body, dated to Virgil Exner’s «plucked chicken» 1962 Dodges and Plymouths! To be fair, it had been updated several times and, despite its age, was still a very competent chassis.
While it never came close to matching the Monaco it replaced in sales to the general public, the St. Regis did relatively well as a police car. In fact, after its first year, the vast majority of St. Regis sales were to law enforcement agencies. However, even those sales couldn’t save the car, which, along with its Chrysler and Plymouth siblings, was killed off halfway through the 1981 model year.
Last of the big Monacos, 1974-77
The 1974 model year Dodge was completely redesigned with an all-new unibody platform and all-new sheet metal. However, the new cars debuted at precisely the wrong time. Within days of their introduction, the 1973 oil crisis began and, suddenly, big cars became the pariahs of the auto industry. Chrysler was excoriated in the media for bringing out huge new cars, and sales suffered accordingly. In truth, it was just bad timing, as the new Monacos were very good cars, but they had been designed for a different era, and they quickly faded away.
As mentioned above, for 1974, the long-running Polara and Polara Custom models were discontinued. They were replaced by a basic Monaco and Monaco Custom respectively. The previous Monaco was renamed Monaco Brougham. The Brougham name had long been used on the luxury option package which was available from 1969 to 1973. Gone were the hidden headlamps of the previous models, replaced by fixed headlamps on all Monacos, but that would change.
For the 1975 model year, changes to the base Monaco were minimal. However, the Monaco Custom got a new name — Royal Monaco —and the Monaco Brougham became the Royal Monaco Brougham. These newly-named models featured, as Monacos had in 1972 and ’73, concealed headlamps. 1975 would be the last year that the four-door hardtop would be available. After the start of the 1975 model year, a limited prouction option for Royal Monaco Brougham coupes was introduced. The Diplomat package featured a landau vinyl roof with opera windows and a wide steel roof band.
Changes to the 1976 model would be minimal, and the virtually-unchanged 1977 models (save for bumper corner tip radius details) proved to be the last true full-size Dodges. However, all full-size models were Royal Monacos for ’77, as the mid-size Coronet was renamed Monaco.
The 1974-1977 Monacos received star treatment in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers, directed by John Landis. In it, a 1974 Monaco is purchased by Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd), which he uses to pick up his brother Jake (John Belushi) and re-assemble the brothers’ band to put on a show. 1976 Monacos are also featured as Illinois State Trooper cars and Chicago city police cars.