If I were to tell you about a swift, fine-handling coupé with on-point Seventies/Eighties styling, strong build quality and room for the kids in the back, you’d be curious, right? Until I told you that in our latest Price Guide Movers On The Up they’ve jumped in value by 99%.
But wait a second, because even with that rocket-propelled rise, the Opel Monza can still be bought in concours condition for around £13k, with mint cars just £8k. The £4.35k and £6.4k savings for buying in driver or project condition respectively wouldn’t leave budget for a thorough restoration of course so it’s best to hold out for a better one, unless you enjoy a challenge.
As with its Vauxhall-badged Royale coupé sibling, finding one will take patience, with just 52 Monzas on UK roads, outnumbered more than four to one by those slumbering in gardens, garages and barns. So, plenty of challenges for those with itchy spanners. The trick is persuading the I’ll-restore-it-one-day dreamers that their unstarted/abandoned project is better off in the hands of someone motivated to actually finish it.
Power came from a range of cam-in-head straight six engines, in the UK with 2.5 or 3.0-litre capacities, gaining Bosch fuel injection in the second generation cars of 1982 when the Royale was discontinued.
Pick of the range is the 3-litre GSE, with its sportier suspension and interior, five-speed manual gearbox and limited-slip differential.
The Monza moves come after other non-Ford Eighties performance cars have seen increasing buyer interest, including hot Renaults, Vauxhalls, Talbot-Sunbeams, MGs and the Monza’s own Manta relative. After yet another price hike for selected Eighties hot Fords, we’ll be keeping a close eye on their now scarcer period rivals for further action.
Price Guide Movers On The Up is part of 16 regular pages of market tips, analysis and buying advice in the latest issue ofClassic Cars.