Opel · 1977–1986

Opel Monza

The Opel Monza is an executive fastback coupe produced by the German automaker Opel from 1977 to 1986. It was marketed in the United Kingdom as the Vauxhall Royale Coupé by Vauxhall.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Opel Commodore

All Opel Monza data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Monza A1 (1977–1982)

The Monza was planned as a successor for the Commodore Coupé. In the late 1970s the Commodore C model was made as a two-door version (as was the Rekord E1), but still as a sedan type car. The first model of the Commodore the "A" series had a regular coupé in the production line and Opel desired to make a newer version of their large luxury coupé. Work began in 1976 and in 1978 the first Monzas were available to buy. The cars to compete with would be the Mercedes-Benz C123 and later the Mercedes-Benz C124 and the BMW 6 Series (E24) models (coupe models), and any other large luxury coupe. There was plenty of space inside for the class, and the seats were upmarket. The internals consisted of parts mainly borrowed from the Rekord E1 and later the E2, which meant cloth seats, and much plastic on the dashboard and inner doors. Even the rev counter and the tachometer were taken directly from the Rekord E models. The model experienced some gearbox problems. The engine range for the Monza A1 consisting of the 3.0S, the 2.8S, the newly developed 3.0E and later the 2.5E (the 3.0 had 180 bhp and 248 Nm with fuel injection), gave a wide range. The three-speed Borg Warner automatic transmission from the Commodore range needed to be modified to cope with the new and improved power outputs. Opel's own four-speed manual gearboxes were not up to the job and, instead of putting in a more modern five-speed manual gearbox, Opel turned to gearbox and transmission producer Getrag, and installed the Getrag 264 four-speed manual gearbox in the early Monzas. But when people bought a big, luxurious coupé they wanted modern products as well, and Opel obliged, as soon the Getrag 240 (for the 2.5 engines) and the Getrag 265 (for the 3.0E), both 5-speed manual gearboxes, replaced the old 4-speed gea

Monza A2 (1982–1986)

In 1982, the Monza, Rekord and Senator all got a face-lift and were named the A2 (E2 for the Rekord). The A2 looked similar to the A1 overall but with some small changes to the front end. The headlights noticeably increased in size, and the front was more streamlined than the A1. The car was much more slippery, with drag resistance down by around ten percent (from 0.40 to 0.35 C x {\displaystyle \scriptstyle C_{\mathrm {x} }\,} ). Also the chrome parts like bumpers etc. were changed to a matt black finish, or with plastic parts. The bumpers were now made of plastic and gave the Monza the look of a sports car in appearance, and actually did look similar to the Opel Manta, despite the ample size difference. The rear lights were the same and the orange front indicators were now clear glass, giving a much more modern look to the car. Overall the update was regarded as successful although retrospectively some of the purity of the lines of the early car were lost. At a time of rising fuel prices, the need for fuel efficiency was becoming paramount, and Opel decided to change the engine specifications of the Monza. This meant introducing both the inline four-cylinder CIH 2.0E engine from the Rekord E2 (replaced by the torquier 2.2 in October 1984). However, as the Monza weighs almost 1400 kg, given the 115 PS of the two engines, the cars were considered underpowered and thus unpopular. The 2.5E was given a new Bosch injection system so between 136 and 140 PS was available. The 2.8S was taken out of production. The 3.0E engine stayed the top of the range. The 3.0E was given an upgraded Bosch fuel injection and fuel consumption improved somewhat. The cars now came with more luxurious interior, electrically controlled side mirrors and even an on-

Holden Monza

In Australia, local racing legend Peter Brock had plans to import, modify and market the Opel Monza Coupé as the Holden Monza with the Holden 5 Litre V8 fitted, through his own HDT (Holden Dealer Team) business, but the plans eventually fell through. This was due to the expense of adapting the car to Australian Design Rules. One model was built with modifications, including a 5.0-litre Holden V8 engine.

Other uses of the Monza name

In South Africa, a saloon version of the smaller Opel Kadett E was also sold as the Opel Monza. In Brazil and Venezuela, a version of the Opel Ascona C was sold as the Chevrolet Monza, which featured a three-door fastback body unique to Latin America. There was also an unrelated Chevrolet Monza in the United States. Since 2019, Chinese buyers have been offered another Chevrolet Monza, this time a four-door sedan.

2013 Monza Concept

The Opel Monza Concept is a three-door 2+2 fastback coupé plug-in hybrid concept car with 2 gullwing doors for easy access to the rear seats unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2013. The concept was also shown under the British Vauxhall marque. The concept shares the same basic plug-in hybrid setup as the Chevrolet Volt and Opel Ampera called "VOLTEC", but using a turbocharged 1-liter 3-cylinder natural gas-powered engine as its range extender instead of General Motors’ current 1.4-liter gasoline Voltec engine. The Monza Concept is the first car to feature cutting-edge LED projection infotainment. Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann, the CEO of Opel, has been quoted as saying "The Monza Concept is nothing less than our vision of the automotive future". According to Opel, this concept is the role-model for the next generation of Opel cars, and because of its modular chassis design, future cars based on it would be able to accommodate gasoline, diesel or electric power. Chief designer Ed Welburn of General Motors said "The gullwing doors will go into production and concept".

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Opel Monza
Manufacturer: Opel
aka: Vauxhall Royale Coupé
Production: 1977–1986
Assembly: West Germany: Rüsselsheim
Class: Executive car (E)
Body style: 2-door fastback coupé
Predecessor: Opel Commodore Coupé
Platform: V platform
Engine: 2.0E, 2.5E, 2.8S, 3.0S, 3.0E, 3.0E GSE
Transmission: A1 1977-1982: Automatic 3 Speed, Manual 4 speed. A2 1982-1986: Automatic 4 speed, Manual 5 speed
Wheelbase: 2670 mm
Length: 4692 mm
Width: 1734 mm
Height: 1380 mm
Kerb weight: 1375 -
Related: Bitter SC Coupé, Opel Senator A

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1314386CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_MonzaCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1352841611 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Opel_monza_v_sst.jpgGPL · Photo: see file page · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.