1986 Opel Monza GSE

Highlights

Incredibly low mileage example
Very original honest car
Extensive service history
Rare and desirable manual version of the GSE model

The Appeal

It's the 1980’s and the performance coupe scene is booming, the market dominated with BMWs, Fords and Mercedes.

But for those who wanted an equally stylish, well performing six cylinder sports coupe that provided far better value for money, there was an excellent alternative presenting itself on the Opel dealership forecourts.

First marketed as a luxury touring model as part of the companies’ Senator range, the Opel Monza was a stylish and highly versatile fastback style coupe.

Praised for its ability to carry four passengers in comfort, but still providing a rewarding dynamic drive, the Monza saw 40,000 units made during its production, with the flagship of the lineup being the coveted 3.0 GSE model we see here.

A true 1980s performance icon, the Monza GSE achieved something of a legend status among car enthusiasts and thus demand for quality examples has always been high.

What we are presented with here, is arguably one of the finest, most original examples on the market.

The Monza is in impeccable aesthetic and mechanical order and presents as such. Excellently preserved and with less than 45 thousand miles on the clock, there may be no other like it left today.

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The History and Paperwork

1986 final year model
Accompanied by full comprehensive service history
Original service book stamped regularly throughout the car’s lifetime
Has an original Senator owners manual
Operating manual for the original audio system
V5 registration document present
12 month advisory MOT
Amassed incredibly minimal mileage in recent years

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The Interior

Highly original interior
Recaro sport seats
Factory radio system
Original Opel stamped toolkit
Electric windows

Automotive designers of the late 1970s and 80s, really did have a certain panache when it came to interior design, and the cabin of the Monza GSE is no exception to this notion.

Sporting excellent recaro sport seats from the factory, an option unique to the GSE, angular trim and a wonderfully square plastic dash piece, the Monza’s interior is a remarkable place to be and a true timewarp example.

The aforementioned Recaro sport seats present in near immaculate fashion, the unique patterned upholstery is clean and noticeably lacking in wear and discolouration, with the seats exhibiting strong damage free bolstering unlike many similar examples. The large spacious rear seats, one of the reasons the Monza proved so popular as a touring car, are of an equally brilliant quality.

The leather 4 spoke Opel steering wheel presents in great shape, and behind it, we are presented with an excellent digital LCD dash display, bursting with wonderful coloured graphics and gauges. A feature unique to the post 1982 facelifted Monzas.

Front and centre, the exquisite square dash piece could be considered a work of art in its own right. The long, square plastic piece is in excellent clean condition, the plastics are still fresh and rich with colour, thankfully not falling victim to sun fading or damage.

Centrally, we find a neat selection of switchgear and climate controls, all of which present in good order and are reported to function fully. At the bottom of the central panel, sits the original factory radio, still in great working order, and paired nicely with a multi cassette holder for those who favour their music on tape.

The cabin is draped with smart black deep carpeting, and up top we find a well trimmed roof liner, within which sits the multi function sunroof, which can be tilted upwards or opened fully with ease.

Opening the rear hatch, one is presented with a boot reminiscent of a Monza fresh out of the factory in 1986, one could easily be forgiven for questioning whether anything has ever been placed on the incredibly clean carpet and unmarked parcel shelf, which reassuringly hasn’t fallen victim to an aftermarket speaker cut out.

Within the boot, sits the original Monza toolkit, still housed within its Opel stamped wrap.

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The Exterior

Excellent original body, still with factory GSE graphics
Refurbished factory alloy wheels
Presents in wonderful clean condition
Facelifted later model

The Monza was something of a revolution for the styling department at Opel-Vauxhall, gone were the days of the past where the marque’s styling was bland, cheap and in essence, rather dull, and instead the Monza ushered in a new era of sleek, elegant and sporty design.

Courtesy of an imposing black front grille piece, a rear mounted spoiler and a horde of quintessentially 1980s GSE graphics, the Monza GSE looked every part a sports coupe and very much had the style to back up its great performance.

The example we see here, finished in a brilliant bright white hue believed to be Opel’s Polar White, is in excellent aesthetic order.

The quality white paintwork is in excellent order with just a few general age related marks and blemishes to be seen here and on the driver side window moulding, none of which detract from the look of the car.

The thick black trim that sits around nearly all of the car’s body panels is in great order and compliments the Opel’s paint excellently, still with a deep black colour to it.

The large plastic bumpers front and rear, along with the various graphics, badging and boot spoiler are all in excellent condition and present as such. The same can be said for the car’s glass work lighting and factory fitted headlight wipers.

At ground level the Opel sits on four factory GSE alloy wheels, all of which are of an excellent standard courtesy of a refurbishment prior to the car’s current ownership.

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The Mechanics

Smooth 3.0 six cylinder engine
Excellent dynamic drive
Great clean engine and engine bay
Upgraded stainless steel exhaust system

Besides the excellent styling, there was a key reason the Monza GSE shot to popularity upon its release to market. Its silky smooth 3.0 straight six engine. Famed for its excellent performance yet subtlety and refinement, the Monza’s running gear is among the finest to come from that era of performance motoring.

Under the bonnet of this example, we find an incredibly clean example of the legendary 3.0, now sporting all new replacement rubber hoses fitted by the current owner. The engine bay itself is of an equally clean standard, with a solid firewall and sills around the top and insides of the front wings.

Benefitting from very limited mileage and regular servicing, the engine fires into life with ease, settling into a comfortable idle, with a wonderful tone emitting from the upgraded stainless steel exhaust system fitted to the car.

On the road, the Mona is reported to drive flawlessly, providing a great rewarding experience, whilst keeping the driver and their passengers in unadulterated comfort.

It should be noted that the current owner reports that the NSF central locking motor can be erratic and may need some attention to rectify.

However this is an incredibly solid car that is in truly great mechanical order.

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Summary

It is fair to say that this may be one of the finest, most honest and original examples of a Monza GSE on the market at present.

It is simply unheard of to find a 1980’s icon such as this, with less than 45 thousand miles on the clock and a full service history, yet that is exactly what we have here with this absolutely wonderful example.

This is a car that could easily be enjoyed exactly as is for many years to come, but one that would also easily lend itself to a sympathetic refresh to bring up to an award winning concours standard.

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