Dodge produced the Monaco in four separate generations between 1965 and 1992, with a long break between the end of the third generation in 1978 and the badge’s revival in 1990. The first-gen Monaco was developed in response to the wildly successful Pontiac Grand Prix, which debuted in 1963 with a production run of almost 73,000 units. Chrysler exec Gene Weis told How Stuff Works that the Monaco was a pointed answer to the success of the Grand Prix. “We spent money on every aspect of our 1965 cars, adding content to best the competition,” he said, “targeting GM.” First-year American buyers could choose between three V8 engines ranging from 383 to 426 cubic inches, although Canadian customers also had the option of a 225-inch Slant Six and a convertible body style not available in the United States. Dodge sold 13,096 Monacos in 1965, far fewer than the 57,900 Grand Prixs or 44,900 Plymouth Grand Sport Furies that left dealership lots that year.
The second generation Monaco debuted in 1974, just as the oil crisis was taking a huge chunk out of full-sized car sales in the United States. The model remained popular with police forces, though, and its ubiquity as a squad car made it a staple for television and movie producers in the ’70s and ’80s. The de-commissioned police car driven by Jake and Elwood Blues in the original “Blues Brothers” film was a ’74 Monaco, and ’77 Monacos were used by law enforcement in “The Terminator” and on “The Dukes of Hazzard.”
