2005 Holden VZ Monaro CV8-Z 'Manual' Coupe

Description

Starting in 1968, Holden’s original Monaro sports coupe created a legend over its ten-year production run but it took another twenty years for the badge to be revived, with the unveiling of a concept car based on the then-current Commodore platform at the 1998 Sydney Motor Show.  Styled by Mike Simcoe and his design team, the reaction was better than hoped for and within three years a fully-fledged production version of the Monaro appeared in Holden dealer’s showrooms around the country.  Using a modified VT Commodore platform, the Monaro was basically a standard SS from the A-pillar forward but the overall length was reduced by 100mm, the roofline lowered and the VT’s curvaceous lines perfectly adapted to create a sleek, understated coupe that was almost universally loved.  Holden initially offered the Monaro in two versions – the supercharged CV6 and a 5.7-litre CV8, the latter available with the choice of either six-speed manual or four-speed auto gearboxes.  Updated after a year with the arrival of the revised VY Commodore in December 2002, followed by a Series III model in August 2003, the Monaro’s swansong was the VZ launched in September 2004 with the most significant chance to the original design yet, inspired by Pontiac’s GTO.  Improvements under the twin-nostril bonnet included more power and a revised six-speed manual transmission and Holden released a strictly limited run of 1200 CV8-Zs in August 2005 in the hero Fusion colour.  The last of the line, the CV8-Z came with special features like a factory sunroof, darker tail lights, blacked-out bonnet scoops, plus unique alloy wheels and badging.  In a road test between the Monaro CV8-Z, the Nissan 350Z and the latest Ford Mustang GT, Wheels magazine concluded "The Monaro eats Mustangs and spits out Nissans.  It’s a class act that deserves an encore performance” and, with GM-H’s recent demise, is starting to gain serious traction as a collectible in its own right.