When the Holden Coupé concept was revealed at the 1998 Sydney motor show, Australia’s best-selling car brand would’ve expected what became the Monaro to be one of the most desirable models on the market.
History shows the Commodore-based two-door never took off to the levels once anticipated, resulting in a relatively short production run of five years.
Now a cult classic, it’s been almost 20 years since the final third-generation Monaro was built, and with Holden no longer existing, it serves as a reminder of what many deem to be the peak of Australia’s car industry.
But the Monaro’s legacy doesn’t just continue on through Australian car clubs, with exported versions such as the US-delivered Pontiac GTO and UK-market Vauxhall Monaro having a niche yet passionate group of fans in their relevant markets.
The Monaro was also exported to the Middle East as the Chevrolet Lumina coupe, and it’s there in Oman where one unloved example is being restored thanks to a local enthusiast.
On social media platform Instagram, user ‘Ayman’ posted a rusty red Lumina coupe, which he intends to restore and join what appears to be his existing Lumina coupe, which has been rebadged as a Holden Monaro CV8.
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It seems there will be quite the job ahead of him, as not only is the exterior in a state of disrepair but the interior has significant trim and equipment missing.
The Lumina coupe appears to be the top-spec SS, which – like in Australian CV8s – got the 5.7-litre ‘LS1’ V8 engine, paired with a six-speed manual transmission. However this example is missing both its engine and gearbox.
An update video detailing the rest of the restoration has been teased in due course.
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