Lonnie Basiuk bought his 1972 Monte Carlo in 2017 from a car guy whose wife was not a fan of the famous mid-sized GM luxury car from a bygone era.
Lonnie was not in an active search for a ’72 Monte Carlo at the time, but he became interested in the car after learning more about it.
Jim Sutherland
The Monte Carlo debuted in 1970 as an upscale intermediate-sized car built to compete with other high-end domestic cars that occupied the same niche market. Monte Carlos were only sold as upscale two-door coupe models with a sporty flair, thus the Euro name to enhance the sophisticated marketing angle for the cars.
It would be fair to say the Monte Carlo bore a family resemblance to its more famous mid-sized sibling Chevelle, but the two cars looked different enough to carve out their own identities during the early 1970s.
There has been an upswing in popularity for the first-generation Monte Carlos over the past few years, mainly because these vehicles are a part of the 1970s and have a classic style that reflects the Me Decade in a big way.
Lonnie was undoubtedly drawn to his Monte Carlo’s classic good looks, but it would also be fair to say Lonnie was impressed with his car’s overall condition when he bought it in 2017. The Monte was a California car that avoided winter for much of its time on the road before it was sold to a Utah buyer who then sold the car to the guy whose wife did not like the car.
One of the things that really impressed Lonnie was the Monte Carlo’s undercarriage because he concluded it was “solid as a rock”, in his opinion. There were no signs of rust or any other wear and tear on the ’72 Monte Carlo, despite the fact it was already 47 years old when Lonnie purchased it.
The Monte still has its original 350 engine coupled to its factory automatic transmission, an unbeatable combination for both durability and performance, although Lonnie was unable to join a first-generation Monte Carlo club because his car did not have a 454 big block engine. And yes, prospective buyers could order the monster Chevy engine during the early 1970s.
Lonnie’s car may not have a 454 under its hood, but it has plenty of creature comforts to enhance the 1972 Monte Carlo’s reputation as an upscale medium-sized car. The list includes power steering, power brakes, and an air conditioning system that “still blows cold”, according to Lonnie.
These factors are part of the reason Lonnie has put about 6000 miles (roughly10,000 kilometres) on his Monte Carlo since he became its owner. He added the Monte Carlo performs best on the highway at 70 mph (roughly 110 km/h) and can easily keep up with modern traffic along the way.
Lonnie told MyStarCollectorCar his ‘72 Monte Carlo has new upholstery but is largely an original car at this point.
He intends to do a minor restoration on the car in the future but right now his main goal is to continue to enjoy his Monte Carlo as much as possible.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
- CLICK HERE to Sign Up for the Newsletter
- CLICK HERE to Like us on Facebook
- CLICK HERE to Follow us on Twitter
- CLICK HERE to Follow us on Pinterest
