1970 Holden HG Monaro GTS '350 Enhanced' Coupe

Description

Holden’s original sports coupe, badged the Monaro, proved so popular in its original HK guise there was no question it would continue. The HG was the third and final facelift of Holden's HK/HT series and was introduced in July 1970, largely to coincide with the introduction of the new Tri-matic automatic transmission. Apart from a new grille, the remaining bodywork was shared with the HK/HT models and all the same trim levels, including Belmont, Kingswood, Premier and Brougham, were offered for sale. Holden had an extensive list of six and eight-cylinder engines on offer, ranging from the 130-cid six through to the 350-cid V8, along with no less than six different transmission types. The Monaro sports coupe was again the hero car of the full-size Holden range, with its pillarless fastback styling still managing to look fresh and appealing. However, with Bathurst duties switching to the XU-1 Toranas, the Monaro GTS 350 became less of a homologation special and more a high performance executive express, with a good many equipped with automatic transmission and air conditioning. Not all Monaros left the factory with V8s however, and a number started life as 186 or 186S six-cylinder cars for those who wanted all the good looks and style of a fastback coupe, without the need for extra cylinders. Over the years, 186 Monaro numbers have been whittled away with serious attrition due to rust, accidents and V8 conversions, so that the number of surviving examples in original form is relatively small today. The HK/HT/HG Monaros have reached new levels of popularity with collectors, as they become properly appreciated for their place in Australian motoring history.