Buick turned 50 years old in 1953 and celebrated its birthday in style. The company delayed the release of its new V-8 until this model year, improved the Dynaflow (which some had called “Dyna-slush”), updated its B- and C-body cars for the final time in that styling cycle and released the new Skylark, a sporty-looking, limited-production, factory-customized model.

Buick’s new “Fireball” V-8 displaced 322 cubic inches in its original form, and when installed in the Skylark or Roadmaster, it produced its maximum horsepower of 188 units at 4,000 rpm. For comparison, the V-8 for the Super series, equipped with a two-barrel carburetor and with a compression ratio of 8.0:1, was rated at 170 hp at 4,000 rpm. Performance of the Skylark-Roadmaster engine was better due to a four-barrel carburetor and a higher compression ratio of 8.5:1. The basic engine was used by Buick through 1966. Incidentally, the old 263-cid straight-eight still powered the Special, but it received an improved combustion chamber resulting in slightly higher horsepower.

A “Twin-Turbine Dynaflow” helped deliver 10 percent more torque to the rear wheels. It felt less “slushy” and was also quieter than the original design.

Styling refinements for the 1953 Buick line included a raised front fender and hood line and a taller deck. Oval headlamp bezels, much like those of the 1951 Buick XP-300 concept car, were also included.

The Skylark was inspired by drawings penned by designer Ned Nickles showing a customized 1951 Buick convertible. Buick’s general manager, Ivan Wiles, liked Nickles’ ideas so much he thought a special show car, which was dubbed “Skylark,” should be built for the 1952 auto show circuit. According to the book, “The Buick: A Complete History”, by Terry Dunham and Lawrence Gustin, the prototype was first shown to the public in July of 1952. The Skylark prototype, equipped with Carlo Borrani wire wheels, was claimed to be the “answer to the European sports car,” though how such a big car could be labeled a sports car seems beyond explanation today. However, most of the American public had little familiarity with true sports cars, which handled and performed far differently than any of the heavy “land yachts” of the era. The Skylark had some sporty attributes and evidently that was enough to justify the sports car label. 

A Buick press release said the Skylark would be put into production if there was enough interest shown in it. In reality, though, it was already scheduled for production. The model was announced in October 1952 and production commenced the following January. Deliveries to dealers began some weeks later. Along with the limited-production Oldsmobile Fiesta, Cadillac Eldorado and Chevrolet Corvette convertibles, the Skylark was the focus of its General Motors division’s display at the 1953 GM Motorama. These convertibles were show cars that people could actually take home, unlike the exotic dream cars also on display at the Motorama.

Based on the Roadmaster convertible, the body of the Skylark (Model 76X) received a “chopped” windshield instead of the wraparound type as found on the Fiesta and Eldorado, a lowered and notched beltline and radiused rear wheel openings. A “bomb sight” hood ornament was recessed into the hood and the now-traditional Buick “Ventiports” were deleted from the front fenders. The top of the front seat was lowered to align exactly with the beltline, resulting in a car that appeared dramatically lower as compared to other 1953 Buick models. Indeed, it was about 3 inches lower. Just as GM’s dream cars were predictive of future styling characteristics, the Skylark was, too, since Buick’s 1954 models would get radiused wheel openings and the sweepspear trim. The 1953 Skylark’s special body sat on a Roadmaster chassis with a wheelbase of 127 inches.

Enhancing the sporty look of the production version of the Skylark was a set of 40-spoke, chrome-plated Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels. (These wheels were an extra-cost option for other Buick models.) Its radiused rear wheel openings helped to show off the glittering wheels. Sweeping over the wheel openings was what advertising described as a “rapier styled sweepspear” molding unique to this model. The sweepspear would soon become a calling card appearing in one form or another on Buick’s cars into the 1970s. Its shape helped to highlight the fender line that flowed into the door and the hopped-up quarters.

In addition to the wire wheels, standard equipment for the Skylark included tinted glass, whitewall tires, leather upholstery with narrow pleats, special carpeting, foot-controlled signal-seeking “Selectronic” radio, tinted glass, heater, power brakes, power steering, power seat, power windows, power antenna, power top (which was of synthetic Orlon) and Skylark-scripted door sill plates along with the 188-hp 322 four-barrel V-8 and the Twin-Turbine Dynaflow transmission. Furthermore, the owner’s signature was sealed into the gold-colored emblem placed on the steering wheel hub. With a price tag of $5,000, the special model was priced nearly $1,500 more than a Roadmaster convertible and about $700 more than a Cadillac Series Sixty Special.

One prototype 1953 Skylark hardtop was built (though two have been claimed to have been built) by Buick Engineering in Flint. However, the roofline combined with the dipped beltline appeared awkward, and no production versions were forthcoming.

Sales for the 1953 Buicks were exceptionally strong. A total of 488,805 were sold, the second best output in Buick’s history and over 50 percent more than the number produced for 1952. Of those nearly half-million Buicks, only 1,690 were Skylarks. 

One of those, the car shown here, is owned by Rick Smith, of Longview, Texas. Rick is well-known among restorers of 1950s Cadillacs, though he recently retired from his parts supplying business and sold off most of his parts, parts cars and some of his collection of cars (including another 1953 Skylark) at an auction held in 2018.

Smith has owned this Skylark for more than 20 years, although the opportunity to finally restore the car occurred only about eight years ago. The car came from a Buick dealer in Alabama who drove the car in the 1970s.

The Skylark returned for 1954, but was based on a production body which helped to lower its price. The car’s rear styling was unique to the model, making it a standout. Only 798 were built and the proposed 1955 Skylark never went beyond the drawing board.

Love Buicks? Here are a few more articles for your reading enjoyment.

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1958-buick-caballero

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1964-buick-lesabre-2-dr

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This story was initiated as the result of a random, seemingly inconsequential act on my part. I gave my copy of the Jan. 1, 2024, issue of Old Cars to a friend, because of its cover story about a 428 Cobra Jet-powered 1968 Torino. My friend owns our featured Fairlane 500 of the same vintage, which also has the 428 CJ, thus the reason for giving him the magazine. A couple days later, that friend called me to tell me an incredible story — he had drag-raced with the original owner of the featured Torino, Billy Ray Sullivan! That was not all, though. That Torino was bought from the same dealership from where his Fairlane was purchased, with only days separating the purchases!

Ordering a Cobra Jet

On April 17, 1968, Glenn Wells, a Longview, Texas, resident and student learning how to perform body work, walked into the local Pegues-Hurst Ford dealership to special order a 1968 Fairlane 500 two-door hardtop. (Incidentally, this dealership began operations in 1915 and continued operating under that name until being sold in 2024.) He checked off a few must-have features listed on the dealer’s order form: W-code 390-hp 427 Cobra V-8, 4.30:1 Traction-Lok axle, AM radio, black all-vinyl interior and special-order Oxford Gray metallic paint (a Thunderbird color). 

“I did not know Oxford Gray was a special-order color; I was just looking at the paint chip chart,” said Glenn. (As per Ford’s practice for special-order paint, the paint code was left blank on the car’s VIN plate.) The special-order color selection added $94.60 to the base price of $2,591.07. Packaged with the 427 engine option was the C6 Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission, the only transmission available with this 427, plus power disc brakes, FR70x14 wide-oval radial-ply tires and the GT handling suspension. Glenn said his dad, “cosigned for me to buy the baddest car on the planet.” The car was to be used for drag racing, which Glenn had been doing for some years by this point. In all, he built and drag raced seven 1958 Ford Fairlanes before deciding to order the 1968 Torino.

Not long after placing his order, Glenn received a phone call from the sales agent informing him that the 427 was no longer available. The salesman suggested the 428-cid V-8 as a replacement. Glenn was aware that the 428 was offered for Thunderbirds and full-size models. He also knew it was not really a high-performance engine, but rather offered good low-end torque and was more of an accessories runner (like air conditioning). Glenn had no interest in the 428, thus, disappointed, he canceled the order. He was completely unaware of the new 428 Cobra Jet (CJ) variant.

A few days later, however, Glenn was reading a magazine article about the 1968 NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif. The article mentioned the debut of six 428 CJ-equipped, Ford-sponsored lightweight Mustangs racing in the C/Stock Automatic, Super Stock E and Super Stock E Automatic classes. These cars, prepared for Ford by Holman-Moody-Stroppe in Long Beach, had their 428s hopped up with 427-type connecting rods, a C8AX-C camshaft, dual-point distributor, forged pistons with 11.0:1 compression, Doug or Jardine headers, Detroit Locker rear end with a 4.44:1 ratio and traction bars. (In all, Ford had 50 special lightweight CJ-powered Mustangs built that year.) Those engines differed, though, from the stock type later available to the public. The article reported the Mustangs had an 11.5-second elapsed time at about 120 mph in the quarter-mile competition, greatly impressing Glenn. He reinstated his order with the only change to it being the substitution of the 428 CJ. The base price was $2,591.07, but the options and transportation charge of $106.45 raised the total price paid to $3,727.28.

Glenn’s car was built at Ford’s Atlanta assembly plant on Wednesday, April 30, and a week and a half later, on Friday, May 9, Glenn received his car. Upon arrival of the delivery truck, a Pegues-Hurst employee called Glenn telling him, “I think your car is here.” Glenn was sick in bed, but he was not going to let that stop him from getting his car that day. He and his dad got there in time to watch it being off-loaded from the car carrier. Glenn took possession of the car before it had gone through the typical dealer prep, thus the antenna (which was laying inside the trunk) was not yet installed, though he performed that task later. Glenn took the keys, and to this day, is the only one to drive this car other than the guy who backed it off the trailer.

“The first time I got on that car, it startled me,” he said, which most assuredly convinced him he had not made a mistake with his purchase. It was used exclusively for racing for 47 years and has never been driven for daily transportation. 

“It’s been a toy… and is still a toy,” says Glenn. To date, his car has traveled a little more than 16,000 miles since new.

Separated by more than a cubic inch

The W-code 427 engine originally ordered for Glenn’s car had hydraulic lifters, a 10.9:1 compression ratio, open-element air cleaner, reached its peak output at 5,600 rpm and had a torque rating of 460 lb.-ft. at 3,200 rpm. Was the 390-hp 427 engine ever actually available for the Fairlane/Torino series? Ford’s earliest brochure on this line of cars (as well as the brochures for the Mustang and Mercury’s Cyclone) listed the four-barrel 427 as an option for two-door hardtop and fastback models. Even Ford’s full-size XL was supposedly going to be available with the 427. In the end, only 357 Mercury Cougar XR-7 GT-Es (a mid-year model) received the “W” engine while another 37 received the R-code 428 CJ, though there are rumors of some ’68 Mustangs getting the 427. Regardless of those claims, no proof has surfaced to date to support the rumors. In fact, Kevin Marti, of Marti Report fame, has searched Ford’s 1968 build records and his efforts revealed not a single production 1968 Ford-badged automobile was equipped with this short-lived engine. Prototype 1968 Mustangs with the 427 appear to have been built and tested, but none of those cars are known to have survived. The 427’s complicated block suffered from core shift during manufacturing. This, combined with strict build tolerances, proved to make the engine too costly to build. Illustrating this point is the fact that the 427 listed for $622 (another source claimed in excess of $700) versus the $306.27 extra Glenn paid for the 428 CJ. 

In announcing the new engine, Ford said, “This new 428 Cobra Jet V-8 provides a high-performance engine for street use… that is simpler to maintain than the 390hp 427 cubic-inch V-8 developed directly from Ford Motor Company’s racing engines.”

Ford released its original 427 with mechanical lifters on Feb. 15, 1963, in two states of tune – 410 hp (single four-barrel) and 425 hp (dual four-barrel carburetors). The 427 was another variant of Ford’s FE series V-8 which debuted for the 1958 model year in 332- and 352-cubic-inch displacements. Over the next few years, it grew to 390 and 406 cubic inches before reaching 427 cubic inches. (There were also truck versions, such as the 360, and a 361 for the short-lived Edsel.) The 427 was built with durability in mind for the 500-mile races of NASCAR. The later 390-hp version was a bit tamer than the preceding solid-lifter 427. The thin cylinder walls of the 427 made regular production line assembly impractical while the smaller bore of the 428 solved this issue, and additionally, its longer stroke offered improved low-end torque.

Bore-and-stroke measurements of the 428 were 4.13 and 3.98 inches, respectively, while the 427’s were 4.23 and 3.78 inches. Actual displacement of the 427 measured a trace under 425 cubic inches, but Ford was not going to round down to 424. Rounding to 425 may have been undesirable since Oldsmobile had a 425 while Plymouth and Dodge offered the 426 Hemi. Advertising the displacement as 427 cubic inches was a good marketing move. As for the 428, it actually displaced 426.56 cubic inches; labeling it as a 427 would have clearly been confusing to the public, thus it was rounded up, too.

Special features of the new 428 CJ included cylinder heads with 2.06-inch intake valves, 1.66-inch exhaust valves, intake ports measuring 1.34 by 2.34 inches, exhaust ports with dimensions of 1.28 by 1.84 inches and a 16-bolt-pattern exhaust face specific to the CJ heads. Furthermore, the CJ had a crankshaft specific to it, as well as dished pistons, a 10.6:1 compression ratio, special cast-iron exhaust manifolds and a 735-cfm four-barrel carburetor mounted atop a cast-iron intake manifold based upon the aluminum police interceptor type. Maximum output of the 428 CJ was officially listed as 335 hp at 5,600 rpm, although this was deliberately underrated. A Hot Rod magazine dyno test performed in 2016 of a stock, freshly built CJ engine peaked at 365 hp at 4,800 rpm. With the engine broken in, output was estimated at 375 hp, though with headers, 400 hp was expected. Torque, by the way, registered 452 lb.-ft. at 3,700 rpm, a bit higher than the 445 lb.-ft. at 3,400 rpm figure quoted by Ford in 1968.

A Torino all his own

Multiple engines, including a Boss 302, have been installed in Glenn’s Fairlane 500 over the decades. Not long ago, it was running a 390 modified with .030 TRW pistons with 12.5:1 compression; balanced rods and crank; 324-degree Ford cam with .500 lift and dual springs; C6AE-(R) heads with CJ valves; Holley high-performance mechanical pump; 110-gph electric pump; high-volume oil pump with ARP drive; and the exhaust gases exiting via Blue Flame headers and 2.5-inch exhaust pipes, H-pipe and Flowmaster mufflers. During 2023 and into 2024, it underwent yet another engine swap, resulting in the reinstallation of the car’s original block, rods and crankshaft. Glenn, along with his good friend and ace mechanic, Russell Chandler, completed this work and gave it some nice undercarriage detailing; a lot of burned rubber was removed from the rear of the car. 

“I could not have done it without my good friend,” noted Glenn.

Upgrades to the car’s engine include Edelbrock aluminum heads; Victor intake manifold; Melling high-volume oil pump and ARP drive; custom-grind camshaft by Oregon Cam; flat hydraulic tappets; Harland Sharp rocker arms; Crane push rods; Cloyes True Roller timing set; Holley electric fuel pump and a Carter X mechanical fuel pump; Quick Fuel 735-cfm carburetor; Snow Water methanol injection; MSD ignition; Shelby plug wires; and Canton oil pan and windage tray. The exhaust system is comprised of 428 CJ exhaust manifolds and 2.5-inch exhaust pipes with Flowmaster “Flo X” mufflers. All exhaust pipe hangers were custom-built and installed by Glenn.

Upgrades to the car’s original C6 transmission include an R-code servo, Hughes valve body and torque converter, B&M deep transmission fluid pan and Derale transmission fluid cooler. As for the rear end, it is, of course, a Ford 9-inch, now with Detroit Locker 3.89:1 gearing and 31-spline axles.

Stopping power is provided by the stock front discs and rear drums.

Glenn drag raced his Fairlane at tracks in Texas and Arkansas for decades. About 18 years ago, he quit drag racing the car and he and his wife, Ruby, now take it to car shows in the East Texas area. Glenn’s trophy case is getting quite full, too.

Some will, no doubt, cringe at the fact that a car this rare is not totally stock, but in 1968, Glenn had no thoughts of keeping the car for nearly six decades, and he had no expectation of the car becoming a collectible. The side trim was removed when the car was repainted around 1975 and there were suspension modifications. The rear wheel openings were slightly enlarged for tire clearance, too. Glenn bought his Fairlane for drag racing and it is modified for high-performance, quarter-mile driving, as well as to suit his personal tastes. Originality and collectibility simply were not factors until many years later. Even now, those matters are of no great importance to Glenn. He says his car is exactly the way he wants it. 

Incidentally, Glenn purchased a rare 1968 hydraulic lifter 427 not long ago and it will go in a 1964 Fairlane Thunderbolt replica he is building, so he will finally have that 427-powered Fairlane after all these years.

Love Fairlanes? Here are a few more articles for your reading enjoyment.

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1956-ford-fairlane

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1958-ford-fairlane-500

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1968-ford-fairlane-500

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“Beautifully quiet, Quietly beautiful,” proclaimed Chevrolet’s 1972 Monte Carlo sales brochure. It also said, “We left well enough alone to keep it alone in its field.” Though well stated and accurate, the total truth was that the original plan was to have an all-new Monte Carlo ready for 1972. However, federal regulations that emerged from congress at about the time the new version was entering the design stage forced a delay of one model year to introduce the second-generation car. Therefore, only a light facelift was performed on the 1971 Monte Carlo to create the ’72 model. Interestingly, the 1972 Monte Carlo was the best seller from the 1970-’72 generation of Chevy’s personal luxury car, a model that stood alone in terms of its price, which was about equal to that of the Impala two-door hardtop.

Developing the Monte Carlo

The Monte Carlo was a major success for Chevrolet, and one that was very much needed at the time. Chevrolet’s market penetration took a dive in 1969, from 32 percent to 24 percent, a situation that was most unusual for the division. The personal luxury car market ­— started by Ford with its Thunderbird, first as a sporty car with a single bench seat from 1955-’57 and then as a four-passenger model starting with the 1958 model year — was practically Ford’s alone until General Motors’ Buick Division released the Riviera for 1963. Oldsmobile later followed with its front-wheel-drive Toronado, debuting for 1966. Pontiac entered this market arena in 1969 with its all-new midsize Grand Prix, previously a sporty version of its full-size car. 

In early 1968, Chevrolet General Manager Elliot “Pete” Estes gave the green light for what became the Monte Carlo, originally known as the “C-Bird” during its design stage. (Coincidentally, John DeLorean had approved the 1969 Grand Prix in early 1967 while general manager of that division. He then became general manager for Chevrolet not long after the Monte Carlo project was underway.) Designer Dave Holls was placed in charge of the design work for the C-Bird project.

The namesake of the Monte Carlo was the administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. With the French Rivera in the immediate vicinity of Monte Carlo, perhaps the moniker was an obvious choice, although based upon an early clay mock-up, the name “Concours” was apparently considered.

To keep the Monte Carlo at the planned price target, costs of production were kept in line by adapting GM’s A-body (Chevrolet Chevelle, Pontiac LeMans, Oldsmobile Cutlass, Buick Skylark) to the 116-inch-wheelbase suspension systems of the four-door Chevelle. Indeed, as much as possible was shared with the Chevelle. The frame for the Monte Carlo, though, was not shared with any other GM car, nor were any outer components except for the rear window and deck lid, which came from the Chevelle parts bin. The front end ahead of the cowl was stretched to fit the 116-inch wheelbase chassis, resulting in the longest hood of any Chevrolet at 6 feet in length. 

Inside, the dash from the Chevelle SS was adopted, though with applications of simulated elm woodgraining. Heavy amounts of sound deadener comprised of thick jute under the carpeting, plenty of asphalt-inpregnated material above the headliner and spray-on fiber in various places throughout the body helped to ensure the quiet ride befitting a personal luxury car. Execution of the design was so well done that buyers either did not know or did not care about the Monte Carlo’s relationship with the Chevelle. Its long-hood/short-deck proportions helped ensure public acceptance, most of whom said styling was the most important factor influencing their purchase.

Only a formal-looking two-door hardtop body style was offered for the Monte Carlo, although a convertible version seemingly was at least considered, but evidently only on the drawing board or simply via discussions. No photographs appear to exist of drawings, clay mock-ups or prototypes of a 1970-’72 Monte Carlo convertible. (However, some owners had conversions performed, something relatively easy to do since GM offered an A-body convertible.) Early road test reports on the new car stated a convertible was on the way, thus there had to be some basis for the claim. A four-door hardtop version was built as a full-scale mock-up, but smartly rejected by management.

Outfitting the 1970 Monte Carlo

Standard features of Chevy’s T-Bird fighter included the 250-hp, 2-barrel 350-cid V-8 coupled to a three-speed synchromesh column-shifted transmission (a Turbo-Hydramatic automatic transmission was standard with optional engines); power brakes with front discs; black sidewall G78-15-B bias-belted tires; heater/defroster; concealed windshield wipers; in-the-windshield antenna; electric clock; high-grade nylon and vinyl upholstery; and deep-twist carpeting. Interestingly, while Chevrolet’s sales catalog for the 1970-1972 plainly states the three-speed manual was the standard transmission, other sources indicate that it could be special-ordered in place of the automatic; in other words, the Turbo-Hydramatic 350 was standard issue with the 350 2-barrel. The sales literature shows the three-on-the-tree, though, was standard only with the 350 2-barrel. Therefore, the author’s understanding (by reconciling the information put forth) is that the three-speed could be special-ordered for some of the other engines that would otherwise have come with one of the automatic transmissions (TH-350 or TH-400). Regardless of what was possible to acquire, the three-speed transmission was quite rare with only 545 Monte Carlos being so-equipped for 1970 and a combined 622 more Monte Carlos were built with it for the next two model years. Old Cars and the author welcome a confirmation, correction or better explanation of the facts in this regard.

A plethora of options were offered to customers buying a Monte Carlo. Engine choices were comprised of a 300-hp, 350 4-barrel; a 400-cid version of the small-block V-8 with a 2-barrel carb rated at 265 hp; a big-block 400 (actually displacing 402 cubic inches) with a 4-barrel rated at 330 hp; and a 360-hp 454-cid V-8 with a 4 barrel available only with the RPO (regular production option) Z20 package costing $420 that added a heavy-duty suspension, wider tires, an automatic load-leveling rear suspension and “SS454” badging. The Turbo-Hydramatic transmission was mandatory with the SS454 package, and added $222 to the bottom line. Only 3,823 Monte Carlos had the SS454 equipment for 1970. Though not many buyers opted for the high-performance package, the majority of Monte Carlos were loaded with options such as a vinyl top; Rally wheels; fender skirts (but not available with Rally wheels); bumper guards; AM-FM stereo with 8-track player; bucket seats with or without a console; power steering; and electric trunk release. Additional options included a two-speed Powerglide transmission (for either 350 only) and four-speed manual transmission (available for any engine except the 454, as noted). Yet another option was a tachometer, the same type used by the Chevelle SS, something made practical by the use of the Chevelle SS dash. Fifteen paint color choices were offered with names such as Cranberry Red, Cortez Silver, Astro Blue, Misty Turquoise, etc.

Chevrolet introduced its new Monte Carlo with the rest of its lineup on Sept. 18, 1969. Nearly two million people came to Chevrolet dealerships around the country that day, and the new Monte Carlo was a large part of the reason. (It certainly was not the Camaro that drew them there, because the second-generation Camaro’s introduction was delayed until Feb. 26, 1970.) A labor strike at the Flint, Mich., assembly plant, where the majority of Monte Carlos were built, began shortly after model introduction and lasted into February, thus hindering sales. Many would-be customers found their local dealership did not have any Monte Carlos in stock for a while. Output of about 185,000 units had been projected for 1970, but in the end, production totaled 145,976 cars. The vast majority of Monte Carlos had one of the 350-cid V-8s with the TH350 transmission.

Minor tweaks to greatness

A minor facelift for 1971 included squared-off headlamp bezels (changed from rounded) and rectangular parking lamps (changed from round); headlamps moved a little farther apart; a fine horizontal pattern grille (previously a fine square pattern); revised hood spear with stand-up ornament; and a new keyhole emblem on the trunk lock. Detail changes to the interior for 1971 included revised door panels, steering wheel and control knobs. Horsepower ratings for the 1971 engines remained the same as for 1970. Sales in 1971 slipped from ’70, with 128,600 Monte Carlos produced. Another labor strike early in the 1971 model year that lasted a little more than two months once again suppressed total output. The SS454 option package drew a mere 1,919 orders this time. The option package was dropped for 1972, though the individual items comprising it could be separately ordered.

Significant changes were seen in the engines; they had lower compression ratios to meet federal air pollution regulations. Ratings for the 350 2-barrel and 350 4-barrel were listed as 245 and 270 hp, respectively, and the 400 big-block lost 30 hp, down to 330. The 454’s output actually increased to 365 due to changes to the valve train. The small-block 400 was dropped from the engine lineup.

Changes were few for the 1972 Monte Carlo. Updates were mostly limited to the exterior and comprised a rectangular-pattern grille, parking lamps relocated from the bumper to between the grille and headlamp assemblies and a wider hood spear with “MC” lettering. Now offered was the Custom package, RPO 03, comprised a group of convenience and appearance items. Cars so equipped were noted with the addition of a “Custom” emblem next to the Monte Carlo script on the rear roof pillar. 

For 1972, SAE net ratings for engine horsepower output were adopted. The 350 2-barrel and 4-barrel were rated at 165 and 175 hp, respectively, while the 400 big-block’s rating fell to 240 hp. As for the 454, it was rated at 270 hp. Even so, buyers were more interested in luxury than performance, and the 350 with TH350 was the most popular choice. Only 1,268 Monte Carlos of 1972 had the biggest engine. The four-speed transmission was deleted from the options list this year while variable-ratio power steering became standard.

A survivor with a secret past

Sales in 1972 were the highest of the three model years of the first-generation Monte Carlo with 180,819 finding buyers, one of which is shown here. This 1972 Monte Carlo was owned by Terry Reese, of Longview, Texas, when it was recently photographed. Just a few weeks after the photo session, Terry’s friend made an offer for the car that was judged too good to turn down, thus the car now has a new owner living in Michigan. This largely original Antique White example is a relatively low-mileage car with 69,400 miles on its odometer at the time it was photographed. An engine rebuild was performed during the early part of 2021. At that time, a 4-barrel intake and carburetor setup was installed, as was a Borla exhaust system. In addition to those minor modifications, the car only has an aftermarket AM-FM stereo that perfectly fits the factory radio opening.

The featured Monte Carlo has received one repaint at some point and other than it spending most of its existence in Virginia and North Carolina before coming to Texas, nothing else is known about its history.

In the aforementioned 1972 Monte Carlo sales brochure, Chevy’s marketing people wrote that the, “Monte Carlo tends to be the most often misunderstood Chevrolet ever. The problem is, there is no other car quite like Monte Carlo. There’s nothing to compare it to, no convenient category to put it in. So some people will continue to assume Monte Carlo is an oversized sporty car putting on airs. While others will remain convinced it’s an undersized luxury car with a jealous eye cast toward the performance-minded. Rest assured, Monte Carlo is neither. And perhaps both. Try thinking of it this way. Monte Carlo combines the best (but not all) virtues of the luxury car with the best (but not all) virtues of the sporty car. Owning a Monte Carlo is kind of like having your cake and driving it too.” 

From start to finish of the first-generation Monte Carlo, a total of 455,395 buyers agreed with Chevy’s ad writers. Marketing need not have been too concerned about perception.

Love Monte Carlos? Here are a few more articles for your reading enjoyment.

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-week-1986-chevrolet-monte-carlo-ss

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-week-1977-chevrolet-monte-carlo

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-week-1970-chevrolet-monte-carlo

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

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The post Defying definition: Monte Carlo identity conundrum appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.