Rare Rides: A 1977 Chevrolet Monza - the Malaise Mirage

Today’s Rare Ride is a special, sporty edition of a rather mundane Malaise subcompact. It hails from a time when the American customer matched the color of their vinyl seats to their wide lapel. So let’s delude ourselves for a few minutes with the Monza Mirage.

This isn’t the first time we’ve featured an H-body on Rare Rides. That honor goes to this 1978 Pontiac Sunbird Safari Wagon.

Both of these vehicles were follow-up rides to the original H-body, Chevrolet’s Vega. The Vega led the pack with its introduction for the 1971 model year, soldiering on alone until 1973. That year saw the creation of the very similar Pontiac Astre. In 1975, the lineup expanded to include the Buick Skyhawk, Oldsmobile Starfire, and today’s Monza. And in 1976, one final model found its way to the H-body — another Pontiac, the Sunbird mentioned above.

Monza was available in three different body styles, all of them featuring two doors: coupe, station wagon, and a 2+2 liftback like we have here. The Monza was destined to stand out a bit from other GM models, as the company intended to ship it with a Wankel engine (licensed from NSU!) under the hood.

But as all manufacturers have found with Wankel, there were issues in emissions and economy, so the idea was dropped. Monzas were offered with several different engines, of four, six, or eight cylinders. They ranged in displacement from 2.3 to 5.7 liters. Today’s Mirage example has the reliable Chevrolet 305 V8 (5.0-liter).

The 2+2 Monza had some weight on its swoopy shoulders. Though it shared the showroom floor for two years with the Vega, it was intended as its replacement. Along with the more formal Towne Coupe model, the 2+2 aimed directly at that other compact economy car: the Mustang II.

Styling on the 2+2 was made possible by a plastic nose cone attached to the front of a standard Monza Coupe (see photos). 2+2 versions also featured an upgraded suspension; GM’s first implementation of torque arms at the rear. Said suspension was added as an upgrade to later vintage Vega and Astre models, and also eventually found its way to the F-body Camaro and Firebird. Important stuff!

Monza’s trim and options lineup received annual tweaks and modifications, including today’s Mirage model (’77 only). And perhaps more importantly, the Monza lineup absorbed all Vega models in 1978, as the old nameplate was discontinued.

True aftermarket Mirage examples were created by a company called Michigan Auto Techniques (MAT). General Motors contracted the company to take 2+2 models from Sainte-Thérèse Assembly in Quebec, and Mirage-ify them. All Mirages were painted white, with red and blue racing stripes. A modified air dam and rear spoiler were added, as well as wider, flared body panels. Interior color options were either solid red, or red and white two-tone as presented here. In total, MAT produced 4,097 Monza Mirages. Dealers also joined in the fun, creating their own aftermarket set of pretend Mirages.

Today’s Mirage has under 52,000 miles on the odometer and is largely original. It’s been resprayed at some point, and the racing stripes are now stickers instead of paint. Someone kept the tin worm away all these years, sparing it the fate of most Malaise compacts.

She sits at $9,100 presently, and has not met the reserve on eBay. The mannequin in the background would like you to purchase this Monza.

[Images seller]