The Chrysler Corporation took dead aim at the hot-selling Pontiac Grand Prix with the elegant and sporty 1965 Dodge Monaco.

Introduced in 1962, the Pontiac Grand Prix sold 30,000 units in the first year, and then nearly 73,000 in 1963. Those numbers were more than enough for product planners across the Motor City to sit up and take notice, especially at the Chrysler Corporation, Dodge division. The carmaker was introducing an all-new C-body package for its full-sized products for 1965, and with a relatively small investment, the Dodge Polara would make the ideal platform for a luxury image car in the Grand Prix mold. Reportedly, BBD&O (Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn), Chrysler’s ad agency, came up with the name: Monaco.

Like the Grand Prix, the Monaco was stripped of its exterior side chrome to create a leaner, more purposeful presentation. But the front and rear end treatments were largely unchanged from the Polara except for trim details, though the Monaco was treated to exclusive wheel covers with simulated three-lug knockoffs. According to Chrysler stylist and historian Jeff Godshall, rear fender skirts were seriously considered, but thankfully that idea was scrapped.

In a nod to performance, a 383 cubic-inch V8 with 315 hp was standard, while a 413 CID V8 with 340 hp and a 426 CID V8 with 365 hp were extra-cost options. All three were wedge-head V8s with a Carter AFB four-barrel carburetor and a 10:1 compression ratio, requiring premium fuel. In its April 1965 issue, Motor Trend magazine tested a Monaco with the 413 CID V8 and Torqueflite transmission, reporting a 0-60 mph time of 8.4 seconds and gas mileage in the 9.7-11.9 mpg range. With high-test gasoline selling for around 30 cents a gallon in 1965, we imagine few Monaco buyers objected.

Motor Trend’s John Ethridge gave special praise to the interior, which really is the Monaco’s standout feature, especially in the details. The front bucket seats, rear almost-bucket seats, and full-length console were clearly influenced by the Chrysler Turbine Ghia, styling chief Elwood Engel’s tour de force. One unique touch that never fails to draw mention is the set of wicker rattan panels in the seat backs and door panels (above). The natural-color rattan inserts were standard with the vinyl interior but not available with nylon cloth.

“You’ve never seen a Dodge like this, because there’s never been a Dodge like this,” the BBD&O ad writers proclaimed. But in the April ’98 issue of Collectible Automobile, Chrysler veteran Godshall was less extravagant: He called the Monaco a Grand Prix wannabe. In its initial form the Monaco lasted just one year with around 13,000 cars produced—not bad, actually. For ’66, the Monaco name was applied to the full-size Dodge’s entire premium trim level, while the original Monaco became the Monaco 500, an option package, and that arrangement lasted through 1968. In one form or another, including a Renault variant, there was a Monaco in the Dodge lineup through 1992.