Michael B. shot this clean 1978 Monaco SE sedan for sale in North Carolina, and passed them along to me to write up. How could I pass up that opportunity, as these midi-fuselages have become quite rare, especially in civilian trim. I shot and wrote up an ex-cop car Plymouth Fury of the same vintage, and I rather suspect a very healthy percentage of the 20k 1978 Dodge Monaco four door sedans built went into fleet and police duty. 1978 was a very dark year for Dodge.
![IMG-20131029-00169[1]](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/IMG-20131029-001691.jpg "1978 Dodge Monaco - Time Capsule, From Dodge's Dark Days 2")
To put that in perspective, ponder this: the Monaco was the biggest sedan Dodge offered in 1978, in that awkward year after the moribund LeSabre-wanna-be Royal Monaco disappeared, and before the doomed St. Regis appeared. It was going up against the one year old Chevrolet Caprice and Impala (and other GM B-Bodies), and the results were predictable: 47k Monacos (coupes and sedans) sold vs. 613k of the Chevys alone.
For that matter, the whole Dodge Division moved only some 460k passenger cars in 1978; substantially less than just those Impalas and Caprices. Needless to say, the St. Regis might as well have not bothered to show up in 1979.
Looking (once again) like a Buick LeSabre wanna-be, the St. Regis and its R-Body sister Plymouth Gran Fury were unmitigated sales disasters. In the St. Regis big intro year, it managed 35k sales; then it dropped to just 17k in 1980, and a mere 5,388 in 1981, before they were euthanized. Undoubtedly most of those ended up in police work too. Now where are the shots for one of those, Cohort? I sure haven’t seen one curbside hereabouts.
![IMG-20131029-00174[1]](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/IMG-20131029-001741.jpg "1978 Dodge Monaco - Time Capsule, From Dodge's Dark Days 4")
Needless to say, these midi-fuselages didn’t change much in their eight-year run. The dash looks slightly different than my Mom’s ’73 Coronet, but it all looks pretty familiar. And dull.
![IMG-20131029-00178[1]](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/IMG-20131029-001781.jpg "1978 Dodge Monaco - Time Capsule, From Dodge's Dark Days 5")
But this one’s interior looks to be in very good shape. The odometer shows 12,577 miles, but it’s turned over once already. Interested? The phone number is 704-795-8257. If it’s already gone, blame Van Week. Michael sent me these shots shortly before.
For what it’s worth, I’d certainly take one of these over a similar year midi-mega Ford. But you all know how I feel about those. This Dodge won’t ride nearly as jet-puffed softly as a Grandiose Torino, an Ultra Elite or whatever other names Ford kept calling them. But there’s something direct and almost honest about these Coronet/Monacos, an image certainly burnished by their ubiquity in police tv shows, as well as in real life.
![IMG-20131029-00171[1]](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/IMG-20131029-001711.jpg "1978 Dodge Monaco - Time Capsule, From Dodge's Dark Days 6")
That’s the face of my CHP nemesis during my speeding days in California, in those wonderful pre-radar days. I could spot this front end three miles away; or so it seemed. But having a 440 powered Monaco incoming at six o’clock (is that right?) with its little single red light on the cowl flashing was the face of doom.
![IMG-20131029-00177[1]](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/IMG-20131029-001771.jpg "1978 Dodge Monaco - Time Capsule, From Dodge's Dark Days 7")
This one started its well-preserved life in Florida, which explains a few things. Someone’s last car, undoubtedly. Who else bought a Monaco in 1978? And who’ll buy it now? It’s not likely that another clean 1978 Monaco will come along again soon.
![IMG-20131029-00173[1]](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/IMG-20131029-001731.jpg "1978 Dodge Monaco - Time Capsule, From Dodge's Dark Days 8")
Note: a rerun of an older post.
Imagine that’s gone by now. I like them, but the earlier round light version up to ’75 was nicer. Clean design overall and chassis good enough to become, with a body re-do, the R body, of which I’ve 4 and also liked, but not as much as these. I know of a ’75 sitting for years now in a CO yard that I may just have to look into. Much better drivetrain than the wheezy Fords at that time.
The brown paint just ads to the, uh, “mystique”…. I have zero first (or even second?) hand experience with these beyond noting that they didn’t seem to be the most reliable or fortunate vehicles when seen in a TV show, this being the vehicle that usually ended up IN the river as opposed to flying OVER the river.
Still, if you had to have one of these, this may have been close to the last chance to get one that seemed in quite good condition. Someone probably bought it and loves it. As long as they lived on the same side of the river, I mean.
I love Detroit iron, but I pretty much overlook and skip anything between 1973-1978. These aren’t happy years. The bright spots were the new GM downsized cars, and – um, wow – I can’t think of anything else!
These are sad cars. Bench seats, crappy rides, iffy quality, stumbling performance, and drum brakes on 4500 pound floats. Lots of vinyl. Hideous bumpers on bloated styling. Lots of sadness.
So, I see this car and just feel bad for any auto manufacturer shipping these sad rides out the door for disappointed buyers.
Clearly you never drove or owned one.
Your assumption is dead wrong.
What a beauty .
I don’t like big cars but many friends / coworkers did and had these fine boats, they went like stink and handled very well indeed plus you could pack them silly full of people and tear ass around in them .
Sadly Land Yachts like these will never pass this way again .
-Nate
I have always liked this body style. I think they look muscular. I don’t like the dog dishes with the vinyl top, although I think each look is great without the other. I am the owner of a 1972 Coronet Custom (with similar mileage to this car) with non original rallye wheels and a vinyl roof. I am also the owner of a 1978 Plymouth Fury Highway Patrol unit with dog dishes and no vinyl roof. I can attest that these are solid cars that are solid and handle well.
Thanks to USA soft power, my french childhood was filled by such cultural masterpieces as the Dukes of Hazzard or CHiPS. I had no eyes for General Lee or Poncherello’s bike, but I was mesmerized by the Furys, Monacos, Matadors an such, trigerring a passion for US sedans from the malaise era (current ride is a ’81 V6 Skylark…).
40 years later, I had the chance to testdrive a ’78 A38 Monaco with the police spec 440 ci, namely the fastest american car for some years to come.
It was such a disppointment. The 440 ci seemed less responsive than the ’79 301 Grand Prix I had at the time (or my former ’79 350 Caprice).
You should never met your childhood heroes.
(Sidenote : truth is the Monaco had a bad coil and was lacking some HPs when I laid my hands upon her…).
My police package car
That loop-bumper early model on rally wheels and blackwalls looks great, almost an Aussie vibe to it.
You better watch out and slow down good buddy!!! There is a bear in a plain brown wrapper sitting under a bridge at mile marker 147 up ahead.
I thought these didnt exist cause the Hazzard county sheriff’s department kept wrecking them.
I remember renting a well-worn one of these when a wheel bearing or something bit the dust on our Econoline custom van on a trip to the Outer Banks in 82 or so. Only had it a couple days, but remember it was powerful for the time and fun to beat around in.
At least one ’78 Monaco coupe was built with a slant six and three speed (column shift ). It was featured on the YT channel Cold War Motors.
Stelantis would love 460k Dodge sales today. Dark days indeed!