Chevy Monza
Due to the knowledge of the finite oil reserve and energy crisis experienced
in other parts of the world including the United States, plus the growing environmental
concerns, car manufacturers introduced small vehicles as an alternative to big-engine
cars that dominated the road in the sixties including the early part of the seventies.
Thus, this period had dramatically changed the vehicle preferences of the consumer
and the design of the vehicles as well.
Chevy’s version of small car began in the early seventies with the Chevy Vega
but
was soon replaced by the Chevy Monza, though Monza was not intended be Vega’s
successor but more as a base or foundation. The Monza possessed the Ferrari design
when it was released on the market in 1975 as 2+2 hatchback. It was intended to
house the GM's Wankel rotary engine but never materialized so the traditional
2300 I4 and 262 V8 engines were installed. Due to the small vehicle size the lack
of space under the hood became the primary problem when the engine was installed
that resulted to crowded engine compartment.
The 1975 Chevy Monza received the quad headlights and an entire front end was
a soft urethane that enclosed the grill, parking lamps, headlights and a small
front air dam which was also the same with the rear end of the Monza that included
the wrap-around tail lamps, license plate and trunk lock. Two front bucket seats
and the two bucket-style rear seats accommodate the passengers of the Monza. Standard
features included a high-rise centre console, advance torque-arm suspension, power
ventilation, full gauge instrumentation, wheel covers and steel-belted radial
tires, vinyl upholstery trim and sound insulation and more. However, the Chevy
Monza was short lived. The last Monza rolled off from the production line and
permanently rested from the Chevy line of vehicles.