A while back, Richard Bennett shared a 1976 Malibu Classic with us. The subject of metallic brown as the ne plus ultra ’70s car color was discussed briefly. This put me in mind of a brown-and-tan Monte Carlo I spotted on the Cohort (and photographed by ’76 Monte owner Chris Green) not too long ago. Let’s relive the ’70s color palette–albeit briefly!
In a nutshell, the 1973-77 Chevy Monte Carlo was one of the most baroque – and successful – personal luxury cars of the 1970s. In 1976, it received a mild restyling that included stacked rectangular headlights, as well as a new two-tone paint option probably intended to recall classic cars of the ’30s. It was called Fashion Tone, and featured a complementary accent color on the front fenders and doors, as seen above. It continued for 1977, as on our featured Monte Carlo.
My Dad had a 1977 Monte Carlo, which is shown above. It was not very Broughamed-out, with Rally wheels, subtle silver-blue metallic paint and no vinyl roof. It was a company car that he got after buying his old company car, a ’77 Volvo 245DL, for my mother.
A few styling changes differentiated 1977 Monte Carlos from the previous year’s models. The grille-mounted Monte Carlo crest was removed and placed into a stand-up hood ornament, while the taillights were now a bit shorter with three horizontal chrome bars. The new wheel covers were shared with the redesigned 1977 Caprice Classic.
In the ’77 brochure there is a Monte Carlo that looks just like Dad’s. I also really like that Firethorn Red coupe, complete with a white vinyl top. In 1979, Dad’s Monte Carlo was replaced by a beige-over-brown 1979 Bonneville sedan, which should be familiar to you frequent readers here at CC.
Anyway, back to Fashion Tone. It was not for everybody, and I have no idea how popular or unpopular it was. There’s no way Dad would have gone for it, company car or not. I also tend to prefer solid tones–with the exception of a contrasting vinyl roof, of course! After all, we are talking about 1970s personal luxury cars.
This rare ’77 Fashion Tone Monte Carlo Landau was spotted and posted to the Cohort by none other than Chris Green, owner of what is perhaps the sharpest 1976 Monte Carlo in existence. This 1977 must have had vinyl top deterioration and rust, judging from the primer on the roof; it looks like a bald spot. This must have been a snazzy looking car before the top fell apart, with those Turbine II wheels and sport mirrors. I wonder how many of these Fashion Tone Montes were made? I’ve never seen one in the metal. Have you?
I think I have seen one once before, but I never knew it was factory, I thought it was something someone did on their own or some sort of dealer-add on.
I owned a silver/ gray version with a gray half top and red interior
They weren’t a big hit as far as the fashion tone. I’ve owned three 77s
Love them
I’m still glad my mother’s ’73 Monte Carlo (the only car special-ordered by her, or later in life, by my wife and me) was dark blue metallic with no vinyl roof.
The reason she bought the Monte was because the full-size Chevy had grown too long to fit in our 1932-era garage.
I’ve seen one! My across-the-street neighbors growing up had one in the same color scheme as the feature car. It was always parked on the street directly across from my bedroom window. It was there from the early 80s to the early 90s—a neighborhood fixture, for sure.
The Monte was the wife’s car, driven sparingly. It sported typical GM wire wheel covers. At the time, I thought my mom’s ’80 Impala coupe was WAY cooler, but I’ve come to appreciate the mid-70s A-bodies a little more since then.
GM had some odd/unique 2 tone packages in the 70’s. Like this 79 Grand Prix where the dark color is just in the center of the body with the light color on all the top and bottom surfaces.
It does serve to visually lengthen the car, which may have been a concern to some with the new downsized A-bodies.
I had a Blue/Blue 1980 version of that car. It had the miserable Pontiac 265/METRIC 200 combo that eventually made me sell it. It was a nice car when it was running though.
One of my favorite two-tone jobs is the ’78-’79 Cutlass. I love the way the color division swoops up & over the rear of the roof. For some reason it reminds me of the “Halo” vinyl tops of the ’73 boattails & A-body Centurys. It’s the “opposite” of the 1/4 vinyl roof style (that I don’t care for).
Yes, this was popular on Cutlasses and Regals of this vintage, some had the 2 tone them repeated again on the trunk lid too.
One of my friends, a newly minted attorney with a good job, purchased a new 78 Cutlass coupe in solid metallic blue with bench seat, column shift, and only a few options. She quickly decided it was a mistake and gave it to her mother when her car was totaled in an accident. She then factory ordered a 79 coupe with this two-toning – black over silver – and loaded with options. It had buckets and console shift and IIRC the upholstery was black cloth of good quality. This Cutlass was a very sharp car.
You could have gotten it on most big cars too I think.
The “forgotten” Rivieras wear it very well.
That is one sharp Olds!
They look even sharper without the vinyl top! The ’77 – ’79 Delta coupes have a real handsome roof treatment but the puffy tops break up the great fluid lines of these. I’d still own “my” ’78 Holiday if it didn’t have that #$&*^& vinyl top.
You mean like this?
I think the part that goes up the C-pillar was unique to the Pace Car 2 tone package, some Pace Cars had a black hood insert too. The 77 Delta 88 Pace Car is kinda cool, they were all equipped with the 403cid engine, and I think they all had aluminum hoods and none other than Rockford himself, James Garner paced the race.
That’ll work, yes. Such a sharp ride there, especially with the red interior. It’s too bad the pace cars were all column shift! They did have the “real” 4-spoke sport steering wheel though.
I do recall seeing one or two of these. I never thought they looked that great. I did, however, like the 2 tone treatment on the Grand Prix of the same era, though.
If the intent was to mimic the Classics of the 30s, the GP does a far better job than the Monte.
Am I wrong thinking something similar was available on the boat-tail Riviera?
I thought it looked horrible and cheesy on the Monte Carlos, other models were passable with it and others it looked awesome!
Nice catch by Tom of a rarely seen car. I remember these in their time; a smart move by GM to spice up their personal luxury cars. Of all, I think the Grand Prix does it best with the hood treatment. The Monte has some kind of 57 Corvette undertone to it, suggesting a cove where none was to be found. I think they pulled it off nice, though. There were a lot of neat styling tricks done in the early to mid seventies that were forgotten up until now.
Nice shots by Carmine and JP to show us what GM was up to in addition to the Monte!
Maybe they got the idea from the two-tone green combination you could get on Dodge pickups in the early 1950’s with a similarly-shaped color sweep going back from the fender and curving down at the back of the door and forward to the belt line. I don’t have any sales lit and couldn’t find a pic of this option online – I’m thinking that not many people now know this option ever existed. You certainly don’t see it on any recently redone Pilot House trucks.
i’ve seen probably two or three in my lifetime but only remember the brown/beige variant. This, and the 1/4 padded vinyl top are probably the only two options I would not check off on the order sheet. I’m still surprised GM would offer something so garish.
Probably the only things I never liked about the 2nd gen Monte Carlos were the side swoops. Accentuating the front exaggerated bulge with a contrasting tone was so “Matador Coupe-ish”. Adding insult to injury to this poor example are my two most hated colors, brown & beige.
BTW, the Monte Carlos borrowed the Caprice base wheelcovers throughout the ’73-’77 span although almost all were equipped with the Polycast or Rally Wheels. Very few Monte Carlos had the base wheelcovers or N95 wire covers. The MC Polycast wheels are a gorgeous design although the center foil emblems fade like crazy & most cars lost their trim rings & center caps over the years.
My favorite base cover is the ’73 version. In spite of them being essentially worthless, I think I may have an example from each year out in the barn but it would require quite a bit of digging to find them.
Here’s a quick diversion:
When I was between three and four years of age, my mother & I would take walks in and around our neighborhood in Lombard, IL. I loved picking up the always-fresh supply of hubcaps deposited there courtesy of a rough railroad crossing…thus beginneth my hubcap collection.
Well, the whole family knew me as the hubcap kid & my half-sister-in-law’s funny dad had a ’74 Monte Carlo with the Polycast wheels. I was probably six at the time & when they were all sitting at the table socializing, I asked him if I could check out the hubcaps on his car.
He said “sure thing!” He also asked me if I could do him a favor & remove one of them because he said he couldn’t do it. So I go to work on the RR wheel (the car had previously lost its trim rings). I’m trying to squeeze my screwdriver between the “hubcap” and the wheel so I can pry it off but can’t seem to get it in there. I spent quite awhile out there, frustrated beyond belief…not realizing the “hubcap” was actually the squishy “Polycast” material that was bonded to the metal rim itself.
I picture the whole crew at the dining room window, laughing their asses off while I gouge away at his wheel.
“I’m still surprised GM would offer something so garish.”
This is my nomination for best sentence of the day. Do not forget that this is the company that brought us the 1958 Oldsmobile and the 1959 Cadillac, as well as the current Camaro. 🙂
Ahem, 1961 Chrysler and “Frank Sinatra” Special Edition 82 Imperial anyone?
Not to mention that the current Challenger is hardly a “restrained” automobile….
Thanks for being nice by saying “best” 🙂
I do agree though, The MC has always seemed like a very “CHEESY” chevelle coupe throughout it’s existance.
I didn’t have to dig very far in my basement to find a hubcap I kept from my 76 that had Turbine wheels. Those were sharp wheels!
We had some railroad tracks by us like that too. I remember using a center hub from those Monte Carlo rally wheels as an ashtray when I was about 13. We’d smoke in our closet. My Mom said, “I don’t care if you want to smoke, smoke!”. Well, that was no fun and I never did it again until I was about 20.
If I was to get a car with a two-tone paint job, it would be something other than two shades of brown! I much prefer the look of Mr. Greencar’s green car.
I think the “Fashion Side” would look better if they continued the treatment to the Quarters too.
It’s pretty rare to see the Turbine II wheels in tact on these (even more so for the Turbine I), most were tossed in favor of Cragars or Rally wheels.
Those polycast wheels had a urethane coating, thus the squishiness.
Our family ’73 Monte had the base wheel covers — they always reminded me of those on the ’67-’68 Eldorado.
Eldorados 77-78 had a horrible looking yellow/dark brown two tone. I recall looking at a left over 78 when the small 79’s came out. I’m sure it was the Biarritz model. I thought it was hideous then and now.
What I don’t understand is that on Ebay, I’ve seen examples in that awful two tone selling for big bucks and sane cars a fraction. Must be something to do with the ugly cars exemplfying the 1970’s.
I’m in total agreement on those Eldos, especially the brown/beige variant
You cant mean the 1978 Fleetwood Eldorado Custom Biarritz Classic? With Arizona Beige and Demitasse Brown Metallic inserts? I love these, you can almost feel the opulence dripping off the car….
Thank you for that clarification. I had not realized that it was opulance that was dripping from the car. I had been thinking it was something else. 🙂
I like that vintage Eldo, but give me one in Frost Orange Firemist with a white top, just like this one in the ’77 brochure. White leather too, please!
There was a 77 just like that in an underground parking garage in a condo near me for years and years, orange with a white top, except it had an orange plaid(or houndstooth?) cloth interior instead of leather.
It vanished about 10 years ago, there were just the dents in the concrete where her 4900lbs rested for so long, she never moved, but someone would keep the tires aired up when they would start to sink.
Oooo – Hey guys, can I play too?
Seriously, of all of the examples of the brief 2 tone fad of the late 70s-early 80s, I think that the 70s GM versions come off the best. 2 tone paint jobs require a certain amount of flash to come off well. By the late 70s, with few exceptions, the cars had become so boxy and dull that 2 toning just cluttered them up rather than accentuating design features (because there weren’t any design features). The Panther LTD in a 2 tone is a perfect example.
It didn’t work well for the Panther, too square, though there was a 2 tone Fairmont Futura that was nice.
Many years ago I bought a maroon ’71 Riviera from a junkyard that was crushing out to use as a parts car for a ’72 Riviera I had. Anyway, the ’71 had a white “trunk vinyl top” to complement its “regular” vinyl top.
It sounds horrible but it really didn’t look too bad. Here’s what I’m talking about (pic stolen from V8Buick.com). I suppose ‘hood’ vinyl top would complete the package although the hood is a rather hostile environment for that treatment.
These were done by many dealers, it almost looks factory, but I recall someone from the Riviera owners club or a Riviera Buyers Guide saying that it was not.
Sweet Jesus, that’s a beautiful ride. Love that booty!
Damn! Anyone have some eye bleach?
Even the Corvette got into the 2 tone gig by the late 70’s, I like how it goes over the wheel wells too.
I didn’t realize these 2 tone Montes were all that unusual. My Dad worked at the local Chev-Olds emporium at the time these were new and they always had a few on the lot. The light blue/dark blue seemed to be the favourite. Montes were fast sellers in those days and most of the ones I saw were fully loaded by the standards of the day. Whenever a guy dressed like Herb Tarlek pulled up in a 3 year old AMC Hornet, these were invariably what he was looking for.
I guess I’m one of the few people around here that likes earth tones. Granted, some of these hues are a bit much, but I still kind of like them.
Something tells me I’m probably the only one around here that belongs to Sajeev Mehta’s “Brown Car Appreciation Society” on Facebook.
I love those fashion tone Monte Carlos, they seem to be a very rare option. I had to share a picture of a blue 77 I came across once. It was very strange because it had the cheap bare bones hubcaps and no sport mirrors but had several options on the interior. No doubt it was special ordered that way.
Hmm. Never seen that combo before. I may have to rethink my opinion on the fashion tone. Those two shades of blue are beautiful. The lack of vinyl top & mirror on the passenger door makes this example look very nice.
You’re right — this one was most likely a customer order.
I found one more. This ’77 is a bit more loaded up. The door edge guard kills the look for me though…
Hey, I’m glad another of my Cohort posts got used! It’s funny, but I just happened by chance on that fashion-tone car one day a while back. You never know what you’re going to come across, and camera phones make it so convenient these days to record anything you find. I knew about the fashion-tone’s existence, but have seldom if ever seen one. While I definitely would NOT prefer it on my own Monte Carlo, (I’m happy with lime/white vinyl) it’s certainly fun to see.
C’mon guys you can’t forget simply the most elegant, well proportioned 2-tone treatment of all time: the Gen 1 Seville Elegante. Black and silver, no vinyl top, and real Dayton wire wheels. Available in 78 and 79 only, i believe. Stunning, even 35 years later.
Agreed. I was never a big, big fan of two-tone but that car was beautiful.
Mopar also went in for multicolor paint, as this photo attests:
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh155/stinsonz/Dodge_Charger_1977.jpg
God bless my parents, but back in their day, they could be a bit flashy. In 1977, they got a very restrained silver gray Sedan de Ville, with matching vinyl roof and black leather interior. (This followed a red/white/white ’73!) But in 1979, they replaced the ’77 with a two tone Seville. It wasn’t an Elegante, which, I’ll have to agree with Stainsey, looked about as good as a two tone car could get, but was a regular Seville custom ordered in dove gray (bottom half) and navy blue (top half). I think this was a combo only available on the de Villes. But it came in all light gray, so the navy was added after, and of course, a few years down the road (they kept this one for seven or so years), the navy was starting to fade, while they gray still shined. Future cars were all much more sober.
These Monte Carlos and Caprices done up in that two-tone “Super Fly” pimp style – vile – I HATED EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM.
That’s all I have to say…
I’ve never seen a Fashion Tone Monte, but I’v e been waiting to see mention of one here at CC. My parent’s parking garage neighbor drove a beige/brown Eldo through the mid eighties with a continental kit attached.
I can’t believe I forgot my “other” favorite two-tone besides the ’78-’80 Cutlass…the mid-late 70’s Camaro Rally Sports. I love these things. Pic stolen off flickr.
That’s pretty cool too. Beats the special edition Firebirds (blue bird, red bird and yellow bird) fo sho.
I don’t think it’s factory, but I think my 72 Mercury wears it well. Yeah, I know, it’s a pig. But it’s a really nice pig…
Oink
In 1984 I bought my first car (age 17) in York, Nebraska. It was a beige with brown highlights 1977 Monte Carlo. It looked exactly like the top picture. But I swear it had the brown highlight over the rear wheel too. It had the landau top on the back portion of the roof. I remember it had a lame fuel economy gauge next to the speedometer to help you from emptying the fuel tank too quickly. I’ve never seen another MC with the fashion tone feature until I stumbled onto this page. Thanks for the memory.
That tan custom stripe 77 Monte Carlo looks familiar. I seen it around in the Valley area of Cali in the past,and came across it a few times on Ebay Motors and Craigslist who a lady was trying to sell it. It needed work done to it allot of tlc not including the exterior which looked decent. The girl said it always gave her allot of issues with not wanting to start I think it’s the reason why it was parked in this lot that day.
I have this 1977 Monte Carlo. I think they called it tan or beige with bronze teardrops. Her vinyl roof has seen much better days. She was my first car.