Out of Africa
The mild makeover the Monaro received for the HG model’s 1970 release was way too subtle for most Aussie Holden enthusiasts’ liking. It was left to General Motors’ stylists in South Africa to give it the facelift it deserved. And when they did, GMSA’s HG-based Chevrolet SS added a quirky twist to the legend of original-shape Monaro.
In one sense, the Chevrolet SS assembled in the Republic of South Africa between 1971 and 1973 was General Motors’ version of Ford’s Fairmont GT, aka the Rhino GT. In another, the HG-based Chev SS was Holden’s forerunner to Ford’s XC Falcon Cobra – a clever way to shift superseded coupes.
Either way, bowtie-badged ‘Monaros’ with the US-style twin headlights added another colourful chapter – an epilogue, if you like – to the rst generation Holden coupe’s fabled story.
Ever-increasing numbers of these cars have returned to Australia in recent decades, just like our stunning feature car. But unlike the green machine shown here, most have been reworked and given a Monaro nose. Nonetheless, these days SSs are slightly more common at car shows and in magazines, helping to raise awareness of their existence. They remain, however, a little understood model that still leave plenty of Holden enthusiasts scratching their heads.
To understand how they came into being, rst we need to paint the picture of General Motors in South Africa through to the late 1960s.
The rst fully built up Chevrolets were imported from the United States to the socalled Dark Continent in 1903 and the rst locally-built examples were produced in its Port Elizabeth plant in 1925. While Chevrolet was the company’s dominant brand in South Africa, it was by no means the only marque offered by GMSA. By the mid 1960s Pontiac, Opel, Vauxhall, Isuzu and Holden models were also sold under the same roof as Chevs by GM dealers and agents, giving customers an impressive line-up from which to choose.
The rst Holden assembled in SA was the FB, in 1960, and the models rolled on from there.
In the late ’60s, Detroit invested heavily in a state-of-the-art design and technical centre at the aforementioned Port Elizabeth facility, just as it had done at Fishermans Bend in Australia. Head office’s plan was to nurture local design of cars in these far- ung GM outposts, and offer specially designed cars to suit southern hemisphere climates and rugged driving conditions.
The potential for collaboration between South Africa and Australia was enormous, but positive early progress on this front came to a shuddering halt in the 1970s due to condemnation of apartheid. Nonetheless, there was a brief period when Holden models, so familiar on Australian roads, were rebadged as Chevrolets and mildly restyled for African tastes. Thus, the Brougham became the Constantia, the Kingswood the Kommando, while the ute was produced as an El Camino. And the Monaro became the SS.
By 1969, South Africa was one of seven countries assembling Holdens from CKD (Completely Knocked Down) kits and GM-H’s biggest market outside of its homeland. What’s more, with right-hand drive, a dry sunny climate and big distances to cover, the similarities between the two countries made Australian muscle cars – including the Monaro – a popular, albeit eetingly so, choice for South African performance car fans.
The rst Holden Monaros to hit South Africa comprised a small batch of HKs – believed to number just six – sent to GMSA for evaluation, training and promotional purposes. Note the image of the Australian cycling team standing outside of GM South Africa’s head office with a HK GTS model (above left).
The rst HT Holden Monaros went on sale in October 1969. They were initially offered in GTS form with the 308ci V8 (5047cc) engine and powerglide automatic transmission. They were marketed as grand tourers and found favour as a highway cruiser or tow vehicle. In early 1970 a four-speed manual and the 350ci engine were added to the line-up.
As to volume, 258 were sold in late ‘69, 952 in 1970 and 618 in 1971. In total, 1828 Monaros were sold. For ’71, the HT gave way to the HG model, with badging switching from Holden to Chevrolet, but with the Monaro nameplate retained. However, the cover of CAR magazine’s December 1970 issue features a HG Holden Monaro – as in a HG Monaro with Holden badging – suggesting that GMSA’s plans were changing rapidly at this time.
The Holden branding was ultimately dropped
in early ’71, with GMSA electing to focus on the Chevrolet brand.
According to a history of the company detailed in a locally-published GM South Africa Chronicle, refocusing on one brand was a 1970 initiative of then GMSA managing director Bob Price, a popular gure among former employees during this halcyon period.
“Price, the salesman, saw the weaknesses of the multiple product names – Opel, Holden, Vauxhall and Isuzu – and sought an identi cation that would generate recall of the popularity that GM cars and trucks enjoyed in So Africa (sic) in earlier years,” the Chronicle outlined. “Considerable research was conducted among dealers, the public and plant personnel by the company’s advertising agency – the consensus answer was CHEVROLET. In earlier times it was said that South Africans in general had a preference for either Chevrolet or Ford, so a decision was taken to revive that product name loyalty factor by marketing products build by