Gods Of Grunt: Holden's Super Coupes - Camaro, Coupe 60 & Monaro

[JoeT]

3 Kings - Chevrolet Camaro vs Holden Coupe 60 vs Holden Monaro

Michael Stahl
27 October 2009
www.wheelsmag.com.au

We muster Holden's oz-developed muscle-car royalty to find the coupe worthy of the pony-car crown.

Not long before the end of the 20th century, a remote automotive outpost took a bare-arsed bet on a concept for its first full-sized coupe in 20 years. Far from being an unnoticed blip on a distant star, the Commodore Coupe concept would re-align the orbit of General Motors itself and make Holden the magnetic centre of its muscle-car galaxy.

Eleven years on, more cataclysmic forces are pulling GM in a new direction. But Holden’s 10-year trajectory produced Monaro, the all-Australian pony-car that went on to earn one of America’s most iconic badges: Pontiac GTO. It put Australia in the box seat to develop GM’s new generation of rear-drive architecture, the Zeta, which in turn put another all-Australian model, the VE Commodore, on the boat to the US wearing Pontiac badges.

It culminated, perhaps inevitably, in Australia designing and engineering an all-American icon, the new Camaro. It was a surrogate project, never destined to be built or sold here. Unlike the third, and perhaps most dazzling star that might have embodied the best of everything.

We know it as Holden Coupe 60. By the time it was unveiled at the 2008 Melbourne motor show, ostensibly in celebration of Holden’s 60th anniversary, the car that had been developed as the VE-generation Monaro had been dead in the water for three years. “Eventually it was shelved as not the thing to do; for the show car we resurrected it and put carbon all over it,” shrugs Holden’s exterior design manager, Peter Hughes, for whom Coupe 60 was very much his baby.

Back in 1998, Hughes was on the team of the now near-legendary Holden design revolutionary, Mike Simcoe. He confirms the furtive Friday nights and surreptitious Sundays that the team spent on the largely unauthorised Commodore Coupe clay. “I recall coming in one Sunday and doing a full-size tape that we were going to show [engineering boss] Tony Hyde. We just let a few important people know that we were going to make a full-sized clay.

“These days, [Holden is] far more global, so you have to let people know before you can get things done,” he smiles. “But back in those days, we had a bit more flexibility to hide the costs [involved].

Yeah, it was very sneaky…

“We were all pretty young when we did it, then it was a big success when it came out. It put Holden – and more specifically, Design – on the map as a stand-alone department that could do things
for GM globally.”

Of course, it was GM’s product prophet Bob Lutz who saw the inner beauty of the Commodore Coupe. His nod gave the green light for the first new Monaro coupe since the HX LE of 1976, and also put it in the frame for the US market from 2003.

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Gods Of Grunt: Holden's Super Coupes - Camaro, Coupe 60 & Monaro (September Preview)

[camaro_freak]

too bad we never got to see the G8 coupe here.. the Coupe60 is one sweet looking ride ...

One of my favorite chops is doing the G8 coupe - would have made for one hell of a GTO!

one of life's great wasted opportunities

[chakis24]

what could be the american counterparts of the holdens? chevelle?

[BBDOS CV8]

God, I would have had to make a hard decision if the Coupe 60 had ever made it to production: currently I have the first 2-door Holden ever made (FX Ute) and the last...... I'd have to unload the Series III to get the 'VE' if it had made production.

It is sheer beauty in person - like they say, liquid fire plays in the light over it's surfaces.

[JoeT]

Originally Posted by camaro_freak

too bad we never got to see the G8 coupe here.. the Coupe60 is one sweet looking ride ...

One of my favorite chops is doing the G8 coupe - would have made for one hell of a GTO!

one of life's great wasted opportunities

[mikmak]

Meh, I'd still take a wagon.

[chevyman1973]

This just goes to show you that GM can make it if they want to!

[MN12Fan]

The Coupe 60 may live on to a degree in the Camaro but there's no replacing that look, even if the Camaro stands out more. Perhaps the Coupe 60's style can live on in a Buick somehow? It's not like GM doesn't have a place to build it.

[Novak454]

Originally Posted by chakis24

what could be the american counterparts of the holdens? chevelle?

Yes, that is the concensus: Chevelles could be had in coupe, sedan, wagon, and el camino (Ute) form back in the day...

The real frustrator is seeing the wasted opportunity. The reason I like my GTO is because it is a functional 4 person car, you don't have to wedge into the back seat like the new Camaro, and by looking at the Coupe 60, it would appear to also be an excellent GT just like my goat: true room for 4 and a usable trunk.

Don't get me wrong, I love the new Camaro, but when I saw the curb weight and interior dimensions, as well as seeing the interior in person, I decided the goat and I would be together quite a bit longer.....

[RedVee8]

A shame the Monaro didn't get up.
Chevelle was closest I guess, except for being bof, the HQ Holden had some similar design cues to the 70? 71? Chevelle/GTO etc Abody.

[Elvisuperman]

The Coupe 60 is a beautiful car and is far better looking than the Camaro...IMHO.

Call it whatever, but it should be in North America now.

[EJD1984]

That car would make an excellent platform for a new rwd Monte Carlo & Riviera!

[skylark68]

I don't see any reason why that coupe couldn't be the spiritual successor to this:



or this:

[toddr19]

Originally Posted by JoeT

I would buy that Holden coupe in a NEW YORK MINUTE!

[Novak454]

Originally Posted by EJD1984

That car would make an excellent platform for a new rwd Monte Carlo & Riviera!

YES !!!