1974 Dodge Monaco
The title of this post is a bit of a misnomer, since nobody actually remembers or lusts after the 1974 Dodge Monaco for its own merits. No, the '74 Monaco is most famous for its role as the Bluesmobile in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers, in which the humble Mopar full-size sedan became one of the most famous movie cars of all time and easily the most influential car in molding my questionable automotive tastes.
My love for huge American sedans, my passion for beaters, my odd predilection for 1970s Mopars, my belief that "Hold On, I'm Coming" by Sam & Dave is the best driving song of all time--these are all thanks to my early exposure to the Bluesmobile.
The '74 Monaco was one of the prettiest full-size American sedans of its time, strong and clean; in battered ex-police trim and with push bars on the front, the patina of age and abuse makes the Bluesmobile completely gorgeous. With the big V-8 burbling sweetly under the hood and soul music playing tinnily over the cheap speakers, well ... it's so close to my ideal of automotive perfection that I'm left speechless.
As Elwood Blues so famously described, the Bluesmobile is a Monaco equipped in full police interceptor trim, sporting "a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant. It's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It's the model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas."
That 440 was one of the last remaining hero engines from the glorious muscle car era; in its time, in 440 Six-Pack trim, it was second in the Mopar hierarchy only to the famous 426 Hemi. The 440 made police Mopars fearsome machines indeed in the mid-1970s, and the Bluesmobile puts its 440 to fantastic effect. Forget the wail of an Italian V-12; I've never heard a prettier sound than the mournful howl of that Dodge 440 as the Bluesmobile flies along Lower Wacker Drive at 120 mph with seemingly every police car in the country in hot pursuit. That's a real 120, by the way--the footage was not sped up. Check it out below the post.
"Our lady of blessed acceleration, don't fail me now," Elwood once muttered--and she never did, until the job was done. Whether chased by the State Patrol, the Chicago police, fire-fighting boats, Illinois Nazis, the owner of Bob's Country Bunker, a homicidal ex-girlfriend, or fire-fighting boats; whether through downtown or through a shopping mall, the Bluesmobile was up to every abuse and every challenge.
Replica Bluesmobiles are all over the web now. There don't seem to be many original '74 Monacos left, but I'd love to have even a garden variety Monaco. In fact, I think I'd rather have a vanilla Monaco than a replica Bluesmobile. There's only one Bluesmobile, and it's on the screen; a "real" Bluesmobile would inevitably be a disappointment.
The first two images are of a Bluesmobile replica highlighted by StillRuns.com, which we previously honored in the 1976 Chevy Impala Car Lust as one of the finest and funniest Impala sites around. The Dodge police brochure is from Bluesmobile.net which has lots of great information and one of the most fantastically cheesy MIDI themes I've ever heard.
By the way, don't even think about mentioning the movie Blues Brothers 2000 in the comments. It never happened, do you hear me? It never happened.
--Chris H.
Cookie the Dog's Owner on July 21, 2008 at 10:59 AM
For a while there in the 1980s, when I was "between cars," I had the use of a decommissioned '78 Plymouth Fury from the Ohio State Highway Patrol. It had a 440 Interceptor under the hood.
I know exactly what you're talking about, Chris.
Chris Hafner on July 21, 2008 at 11:08 AM
By the way, the Monaco is a prime candidate for inclusion as an Inappropriately Named Chrysler Product. Nothing - *nothing* - about the Monaco suggests either the glamorous principality or the Formula 1 race that takes place in its streets.
American automakers in the 1970s had a completely irony-free tendency to name their cruisers after prestigious racing themes - the Pontiac LeMans, the Pontiac Grand Prix, the Chevy Monza, the Chevy Monte Carlo, the Dodge Monaco, the list is a rich one.
David Drucker on July 21, 2008 at 12:50 PM
And the list is still growing: Chrysler Sebring.
As for the Monaco, find some shots of a Buick LeSabre and compare them. From just about any viewing angle the similarities are astonishing.
BB2000 was, I agree, undistinguished and unnecessary, but for one minor treat: Dr. John, singing Season of the Witch.
Mochi Mochi on July 21, 2008 at 01:04 PM
Thanks for the Monaco Chris. This is great. Not only is the car legendary, this is one of those great cars that looks good no matter what. Honestly the more beaten the better. It wears the patina of use, abuse, and age really well. And that "aged" quality really works for me. You can see how the original weight and proportions of the car lent a "governmental presence" that would be perfect for commanding respect appropriate to a police force.
Similarly an aged Monaco in street dress would command the road. In Boston, a city of winding streets and highly aggressive drivers, the Monaco would be king. The psychological advantage afforded by an aging Monaco would be completely overwhelming in the game of "who's got right of way". In this game those with the more beaten and threatening car always win. You can rest assured that if a new BMW and an old Monaco are competing for entry to a highway or merging lanes of traffic, the Monaco will win hands down. A cavalier "Go ahead hit my car - scrape it - you will lose" attitude can be taken by the driver of the Monaco, all others must cringe in fear. The bumper guards are a must - they add one more element to produce a deep and abiding fear in the hearts of onlookers.
David Colborne on July 21, 2008 at 06:07 PM
Some day, we're going to look at the Crown Vic with the same level of reverence that we're seeing today.
There's definitely a certain solid, timeless quality to these cars. I don't know what it is - if I saw a Monaco on my left and a similarly aged Cadillac on the right, and I had to veer towards one of those vehicles to not die, I'd veer towards the Cadillac. That Monaco is just wicked scary, y'know?
Mochi Mochi on July 21, 2008 at 11:10 PM
David C "we're going to look at the Crown Vic with the same level of reverence". I'm already there David. The Crown Vic is a great car and it has a very specific and imposing presence. There are some cars that make great (and threatening) police cruisers, and there are some cars that make great taxi cabs. The Vic and the Monaco are in the former group. The Caprice Classic 4th Gen is in the later. The 91-96 Caprice classic looks perfect and friendly painted yellow with black and white checks. On a Vic or a Monaco those checks will peal off, the paint will crack, and the car will continue to look intimidating.
Moparhead on July 22, 2008 at 12:19 AM
I think the apogee of Mopar design was actually achieved in the mid 60s. My family owned a 68 Monaco wagon whose fear factor was fully exploited by my brother over the latter two thirds of its 25 year life in exactly the ways set out above. If you have time have a glance through the used Chrysler and Dodge full size sedans on ebay up through 1968. You will see gloriously unnecessary length accentuated by clean straight lines, crisply creased metal and scrupulous avoidance of bulge. New Yorkers, Polaras, Monacos, Newports, and the almighty 300. These can be picked up for a song relative to the muscle cars that in my view aren't as pretty anyway. After that Xsler/Dodge lost the battle of the bulge and never regained mastery of its image.
Steaming Pile on July 22, 2008 at 06:49 AM
That's it! I was looking for a car to be the Millennium Falcon for my remake of Star Wars as a Mad Max style action flick. Can you see Luke Skywalker expressing his shock at seeing it? "It'll do 140 on the Thruway, kid."
Rob the SVX guy on July 22, 2008 at 07:58 AM
These cars were great, back when gas was still 89 cents to about $1 per gallon. I had a 1978 Mercury Marquis Brougham for a while. I bought it for $300 because it had working A/C. It also had a 400cid V8. It was rusty, and missing hubcap, and was repainted a dark government blue. Everyone moved out of my way. When I entered the freeway, it was like the parting of the red seas. I'd use turn signals, and before I even checked my blindspot, other drivers had yielded to the intentions of my twenty three foot long two ton land barge.
One night, I was coming home in road construction, and saw a blinking construction sign. I veered towards it, and lined it up with my right front fender, and smashed it at 45mph. It jumped into the air and flew sideways and upwards, and I still have this amazing memory in slow motion of a construction sign, blinking steadily as it arc'd across the ditch and plowed into the earth. It was amazing. I pulled over in a few minutes to check the damage to my merc, and it had a tiny nick in the front bumper rubber, about 1cm long.
Chris Hafner on July 22, 2008 at 08:06 AM
Wow, Rob - you did that *intentionally?* That's, um, just a tiny bit anti-social.
Which is not to say I've never been tempted, of course, though my temptation is more specifically to do the slalom between the blinking construction barrels, or to do top-speed runs on deserted nearly-finished expressways.
Chris Hafner on July 22, 2008 at 08:07 AM
Steaming Pile, you're exactly right. The Bluesmobile was basically a Millenium Falcon for the road - battered, beaten, aged, but incredibly fast. The Bluesmobile was vastly more trustworthy, though - seems like the Falcon was always conking out for one reason or another.
Rob the SVX guy on July 22, 2008 at 10:51 AM
Yep. Don't get me started on the time in HS when we used my friend's 1974 Pontiac Catalina to "borrow" about 25 blinking construction signs. I use the term "borrow" because we didn't keep them very long, we used them to block off a lot of our friend's streets. Heh.
Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame on July 22, 2008 at 11:01 AM
"She may not look like much, kid, but this ship did the Beer Run in less than 12 miles [sic]."
Cookie the Dog's Owner on July 22, 2008 at 02:06 PM
"It's a hundred and six miles to Chicago. We got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses."
"Hit it!"
Chris Hafner on July 22, 2008 at 02:33 PM
Thank goodness they had a full tank of gas, because covering 106 miles at full-throttle with a 440 Magnum pulling a full-size Monaco body would burn some serious fuel. Especially since the drive begins around 10 p.m. at night, only two songs into their set at Lake Wasapamanni, and then concludes in Chicago apparently mid-day the next day. The off-screen car chase between the two points must have been incredibly slow.
Oh, well, it makes for better cinema, I suppose.
Brian on July 23, 2008 at 03:19 AM
High-freeking-larious movie clip. Man. All those wrecked monacos. See you next Wednesday!
OldCarGuy on July 23, 2008 at 05:57 AM
What an icon! And that movie clip . . . right up there with the long chase in the original Gone In 60 Seconds. I could watch them over and over. Wait, I have. And the Millenium Falcon angle is priceless.
I recall a group of us guys going to the drive-in, 8 of us in 2 cars, to watch a double feature: Animal House and The Blues Brothers. Unfortunately, the scenes at Bob's Country Bunker involving smashing beer bottles inspired a few of my comrades-in-inebriation to mimic the on-screen action . . . in the back seat of my Capri. Ugh. Whenever I see that part of the movie I remember how long it took to extract all the broken glass, and how much longer to get rid of the aroma of stale beer.
Good times!(?)
That Car Guy on October 26, 2008 at 02:03 PM
I always thought these cars bore a striking resemblance to the 1971 Buick Centurion/LeSabre series. Grilles, body lines, tail light arrangement... all very similar. The size was about the same, too. I've never seen a Buick like that in police trim, I guess Chevy had that market.
Oh yeah... and fix the cigarette lighter.
Jason Carpp on December 02, 2008 at 11:51 PM
I saw Blues Brothers the movie and although I really enjoyed the movie, I hated the car. I thought it was the ugliest piece of junk on 4 wheels. The 1974 Plymouth Gran Fury had a better looking front end than the Monaco.
Scott Stephenson on January 20, 2009 at 12:29 AM
The Monaco pictured above was my old Monaco. I bought it in Indiana 2003 and sold it in Las Vegas 2004. Before I shipped it to Vegas I lived in Illinois. I had many Lower Wacker Dr. cruising experiences. There are not many of these around anymore.
Let The Good Times Roll
Elwood
Joe Hackett on March 06, 2009 at 10:07 AM
my god i love this car
I am only 17 but these four door, aircraft carrier-type, nuclear reactor-powered, super sleepers are my dream car.
V8 rear wheel drive and plenty of tire incinerating power.
Best movie EVER
JJohnson13 on May 03, 2009 at 09:54 AM
I can't see how you can say "nobody actually remembers or lusts after the 1974 Dodge Monaco for its own merits", since that was my absolute favorite car by far before I had ever seen or heard of the Blues Brothers. I love that specific era of Monaco, and I always have. I grew up seeing my dad's white 4 door '76 Monaco police interceptor and a white 4 door '74 Monaco just less than a block away, and I have to say it is the most amazing car I could ever imagine. It is in every way a muscle car, yet still has more elegance than any luxury or exotic you could find, and has more power than almost every truck I've layed my eyes on or rode in. Anybody who doesn't appreciate this car is a doofus. And by the way, no year of LeSabre has even the slightest resemblance of a Monaco, nor does it deserve to.
starcarcentral on September 24, 2009 at 12:41 PM
We have two blues brother's cop cars, and many more at www.starcarcentral.com we do charity events around Hollywood, parades and speical appearances for things like the Pediatric Cancer Survivors, and Make-A-Wish. If you know where we can find a famous movie or TV car, let us know! Coolest police car chase of all time, and inside a MALL!?!?!?? that's just perfect.
JJohnson13 on February 28, 2010 at 11:41 AM
Alright... I'm actually not sure why I said back in may last year that it doesn't resemble the LeSabre, but it does... I guess I was just more ignorant and argumentative. Whatever. I have to agree when I read this, though, BB replica cars should be sandblasted, primered, and repainted their original color. Our Monaco is still the same white it was the day it was stripped of its Atlantic, Iowa Police decals. Of course, it doesn't have the same performance as when it left. Unfortunately, the car didn't come with a 440 PI, it came with a 400 PI. The 400, now, has an Edelbrock intake manifold, a Carter thermoquad four barrel, and a set of Hooker headers. My dad actually bought a 440 from a Plymouth Fury to swap in, but never got around to it. Some day... We also have, parked directly next to the Monaco, a Ford LTD former police car, in original white. Don't worry, though, my dad's not and obsessed Blues Brothers fanatic who wanted the Bluesmobile from both movies, he just ran across a couple good deals and jumped on them. Police auctions, you know. I love the Dodge, but you really have to give the Ford credit, it moves just as fast as the Monaco, with a 400 big block, while the LTD has a small block 351 Windsor. I still like the Monaco more.
tomm on June 29, 2010 at 01:58 PM
The 74-78 full sized Mopars copied 1971-76 GM big car looks, since their fuselage shaped 1969-73 cars didn't sell as well. So, yes they look similar, but GM's look came first.
The Monaco name used to be the top trim level, above Polara. [There is another Car Lust posting on Polaras.] For '74, it was strange to see the 'luxury Dodge' name doing police and taxi work. [And then Caprice, Crown Vic, etc]
The naming conventions Mopar used was confusing, then. They had mid sized Fury/big Gran Fury for 1975-77. And, for 1977, there was mid size Monaco/large Royal Monaco. Some mistakenly think the mid-sized Monaco/Fury is the 'Bluesmobile', but no they were Hazzard County's police cars.