1970 Monte Carlo SS 454: The Luxurious Sleeper That's Now Cheaper Than a Chevelle SS 454

During the sixties, the personal luxury car segment of sporty and elegant coupes began gaining more traction.

Apart from Detroit's Big Three, which all had at least a couple of contenders, smaller carmakers like Studebaker and AMC joined the club with the Avanti and Marlin.

However, the list of personal luxury car manufacturers was without one prominent name: Chevrolet.

While fellow GM stablemates Oldsmobile, Buick, Pontiac, and, of course, Cadillac all stood at the same table and ate a piece of the personal luxury pie, the Bowtie-branded division was left to stand beside the table and drool.

That changed in the later part of the decade, when the division's general manager and chief stylist, Elliot "Pete" Estes, decided to borrow Pontiac's Grand Prix recipe and cook up a new Chevy for the personal luxury crowd.

The classy coupe of the Chevrolet lineup

Like the Grand Prix, the new Chevy Monte Carlo - first available for the 1970 model year - was built around a modified A-body frame dubbed G-body.

Although it borrowed the firewall, decklid, windshield, and rear window from the freshly redesigned Chevelle, the new model looked more like the contemporary Cadillac Eldorado.

Compared to the Chevelle, it donned an elegant, coke bottle-styled body with a longer hood and a less-aggressive fastback roofline.

Inside, the Monte borrowed its intermediate sibling's dashboard and standard front bench seat arrangement.

Still, the interior was taken to another level with simulated wood veneer trims replicating those used by Rolls-Royce, higher-quality nylon or vinyl upholstery, optional vinyl bucket seats, and premium, deep-twist carpeting.

Though the Bowtie's first personal luxury car was handsome in standard form, the ultimate Monte Carlo was equipped with the optional Z20 SS package that added a potent big-block and a host of chassis improvements.

The heart of a muscle car

The package turned the Monte into a worthy rival for the likes of Ford's T-Bird but also made it an elegant alternative to the Chevelle SS 454 super car (as muscle cars were known back then).

Think of it like this: the Chevelle SS was the college quarterback sporting a varsity jacket and jeans, whereas the Monte Carlo SS was a made man from the Lower East Side dressed in a designer suit.

Still, the made man was just as muscular and could keep up with the quarterback.

Like the standard Chevelle SS 454, The SS-equipped Monte Carlo hid Chevy's new 454-ci (7.4-liter) Turbo-Jet big block V8 under its hood.

Thanks to a hydraulic-lifter cam, a Quadrajet four-barrel carb, and a 10.25:1 compression ratio, the LS5 Turbo-Jet made 360 hp.

Moreover, it delivered a massive 500 lb-ft (678 Nm) of twist to the rear wheels via a three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 and a standard 3.31:1 12-bolt differential (or an optional limited-slip Positraction).

Unfortunately, Chevy never made the legendary 450-hp, solid-lifter 454 LS6 available for the Monte Carlo SS. Had it done that, the Monte SS would've became the undisputed heavyweight champion of the personal luxury car segment.

Rear air suspension and other premium chassis goodies were included

When checking off the SS box on the Monte Carlo's order sheet, buyers also got the F41 suspension and the G67 Automatic Level Control options.

The F41 option contained additional frame bracing, boxed rear control arms, heavy-duty front shocks, springs, a thicker front anti-roll bar, and a rear anti-roll bar (not included on the standard Monte).

The other option that came with the SS package added the Automatic Level Control system with rear air springs and special shocks.

The system used a compressor pump fed by the engine's vacuum to compensate for the added weight and provide a smooth ride.

Furthermore, like the standard Monte, the SS received power front disk brakes with single-piston calipers.

Currently cheaper than the Chevelle SS 454

Chevrolet expected to sell 185,000 Monte Carlos during the 1970 model year, but a labor strike at the division's Flint, Michigan plant impacted early production numbers.

Despite the strike, nearly 146,000 units were sold during the 1970 model year, 3,823 of which received the SS package.

In comparison, Chevy sold more than twice as many Chevelle SS 454 (LS5 and LS6) during the same model year.

But despite being rarer and having a higher sticker price back in 1970, the Monte Carlo SS 454 is currently much cheaper than an LS5-powered Chevelle.

According to Hagerty's valuation tools, an SS-equipped 1970 Monte in excellent condition has an average value of $53,400, while a 1970 Chevelle SS 454 LS5 in the same condition goes for $118,000 on average.

Of course, the varies a lot depending on many factors like condition, mileage, originality, and so on.

But one thing's for sure: the 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 454 is a cheaper, more classy alternative to its intermediate sibling, and if you like luxurious American sleepers with muscle car prowess, this underrated Bowtie legend is the car for you.

For a closer look at this fantastic car, we recommend the YouTube video below by Lou Costabile.