1969 HOLDEN MONARO GTS
BIG, BOLD AND BRAWNY, YOU’D HAVE TO SAY THE GTS 350 MONARO IS THE EPITOME OF A MUSCLE CAR
It seems owner John Bertuzzi got this 1969 HT GTS 350 after a long search, much frustration, and thanks to a mate who relented and helped him out. “At the time I just wanted a muscle car and ever ybody I’d see wouldn’t sell me their XU-1 or SL/R,” he explains. “I came across this beauty 20 years ago and she’s been in the family ever since.”
If it looks a little familiar, well-spotted. It has appeared in the mag before, most notably in the USA vs Australia feature we did si x years ago, where it was pitted against a Chev Camaro.
For this second-gen Monaro, Holden pulled in a GM-sourcecd 350 as the premium powerplant, in this case matched to a four-speed Saginaw manual transmission. In this trim it claimed 300 horses, while a reworked engine cradle and front end was promoted as giving much-improved steering feel and control.
In the time we’ve known it, the Monaro has always stood out as a straight and honest car. “It is what it is,” says John, “a 50-year-old 350 Monaro that still gets looked after really well, it’s a bit of a pride and joy for the family. I tr y to put back the proper parts. Like if it’s a batter y it’s gotta
be an AC Delco as per t he original.”
Has he had to do much to it? “Over the years, nothing. I actually bought it off a friend of mine who had had it sitting for 16 years before we even looked at it.
“He sent me to see a few other car she had for sale. One of the reasons no one would sell me their car was because they thought I was going to hotrod it.
“But I appreciated it even back t hen for what it was and to see it still in its original form, I love it .”
Of course top-of-t he-range muscle cars like t his have seen t heir prices soar in recent years. Is he surprised? John is understandably ambivalent. “It’s a lot of money. I can’t understand that sort of money, but I can understand somebody wanting one. But you know what? People work ver y hard and want something like t his, t hen t hat’s t he price you pay.”
He bought in a ver y different market, though it would have still hurt t he hip pocket.
“At t he time I paid a litt le bit more but t hen again I wanted the genuine thing, I wanted the log books, I wanted t he car to be right,” he said.
“People at t he time said to me, ‘Oh it’s a lot of money,’ but I said, ‘Look go and f ind another one’.
“Pay t he right money for t he right car. I was luck y t hat friend of mine sold me t he car (and hopefully he will sell me another one day) and these days I think he looks at
me and t he car and grinds his teet h a litt le ! He’s still not happy. But at the time he did it as a favour because he k new how much I loved Austra lian muscle cars – for me it’s part of growing up in t hat time.
What’s it like to drive? “Like a big old bus. Clunk y gearbox, sk inny steering wheel, you k now it’s done its years. But it’s great – it’s f un. And t he t humbs-up when you drive it, particula rly from people of t hat generation, it’s good.
“As a k id, watching the older k ids – my cousin had an HK 327 when I was about eight years old – I said to him one day I’m going to have one. He still drives a GTS today, but t he current model. And now his son wants this ! ”
You’re never lonely wit h one of t hese. “There’s a lways someone wanting to go around the block in it a couple of times. I don’t use it as much as I’d like to, but it’s t he nature of t he beast – you can’t drive it ever y day.
“You do have to drive them. There’s nothing better than getting on the highway and heading out and just cr uising. It’s got plent y of power, plent y of torque, plent y of comfort – plent y of ever y t hing. It’s actua lly a rea lly good highway car.”