1973 Dodge Monaco

The elegant Monaco was the top of the line in two-door hardtops from Dodge in 1973. On the strength of its 122-inch wheelbase and enormous, almost living-room-sized interior, Dodge called the big cruiser “one of the roomiest and most comfortable cars on the road regardless of price,” and justifiably so.

Loaded with features, the Monaco’s standard equipment included power steering, power disc brakes,
electric clock, and wood-grain interior trim. TorqueFlite automatic transmission was also standard, coupled to the buyer’s choice of a wide array of engines:  the standard 360-cubic-inch V8, a 400 with two-barrel carburetor, or the monster 440 V8 with four-barrel carburetor and 280 horsepower.

The 1973 model year was the Monaco’s last for what was known as Fuselage Styling, which the car shared with its Dodge stablemate, the Polara.  Introduced in 1969, the Fuselage design used curved side glass and other effects to blend the lower and upper halves of the body together for a smoother, more unified look.

The company romantically described the Fuselage concept this way: “Your next car can have a fuselage frame that curves up and around you in one fluid line. Close the window and the arc is complete. From under the doors to over the cockpit.  Inside your next car, a cool, quiet room of curved glass and tempered steel…a controlled environment for you and each individual passenger…an extension of your own exhilaration of movement. Your next car can be a car you can move up to. Without effort. Your next car is here. Today.”

The easily recognizable features that set the Monaco apart from the rest of the Dodge lineup are the hidden headlamps, which reduce the front end’s look to a few simple, classic elements. The Monaco name would continue on with Dodge until 1978, but it never topped the 1973 edition for style.