█ The Monaro on the Bridge - The story of a very special (lucky) Monaro █

On Sunday 5th January 1975 the bulk carrier Lake Illawarra collided with the Tasman Bridge, 127 metres of the bridge collapsed into the Derwent River, along with 4 cars. 12 people died. Frank and Sylvia Manley were driving on the bridge that night and almost went over as well. Their 1974 HQ GTS Monaro coupe sat with its front wheels hanging over the edge. The car was 2 months old at the time.
The Monaro has be forever placed in Australian History as a true survivor of this honorific tragedy.

[@jeremybuddle1924]

Great story! This would have been a truly terrifying experience - glad to see these wonderful folks and their Monaro made it. That's former TVT-6 news reporter Trevor Sutton doing the intro narration - I recognised his distinctive voice.

[@MrGutfeeling]

Cool story and what a great-looking car. RIP to those who lost their lives.

[@arkade65]

Saw that Monaro at Launceston Motor Museum in September

[@ceciliapolicarpio1822]

is it a 308?

[@user-hj9cz3pv6o]

I actually just went to tassie and saw that exact Monaro! great museum highly recommend it! and we were staying in Hobart and went on that bridge multiple times! RIP to those who lost their lives

[@yggdrasil9039]

Classic car design. I hope GM bring these back as a BEV.

[@michaeledwards8058]

i remember that day and those photos. scary morning

[@skatedd2451]

Can't think of anything more horrifying that that

[@roosthrower]

Great story, lucky to be alive to see the next generation, unbelievable

[@pauldunlea6745]

Apparently It was only the Automatic Transmission that held the car from falling. Had it have been a manual they would have tipped over the edge !

[@youcrosseyedh1774]

Cool , that’s one thing good about an auto.

[@Thinginator]

This is my new favorite response for when people get worked up over automatic vs. manual transmissions, lol. My automatic might prevent me from falling off a bridge!

[@bryanpalmer9660]

Remember that tragedy so we'll watching it on NZ TV-over 45 yrs later I can still remember seeing that Monaro hanging over the edge of the bridge Auckland New Zealand 2021

[@ThatDubstepGuy1996]

most famous aussie car story ever!

[@harleybirrell9645]

Little dancer

[@Fontgod]

I was just looking at some old 8mm film that my parents took back in 1974 from the top of Mt Wellington and was amazed to see it included a distant shot of the collapsed section of the bridge.

[@drewlaredo7220]

then why does it say it happened in 1975?

[@ESISTTIGER]

Reasons!

[@Fontgod]

Good point.... I guess I got the date a bit wrong, I was like 2 at the time. Maybe the film had 1974 on it or something as most of the footage would have been from that year. My parents remember being cut off from most of hobart at the time, they lived in Primrose Sands I think around that time.

[@skatedd2451]

The car is so beautiful

[@ZoranAUS]

bloody beautiful

[@jwarmstrong]

Law changed for captains - no watching of Ben Hurr's ramming speed in battle

[@ronaldthwaites177]

I went to Tasmania and saw the bridge just after the Lake Illawarra hit it..

[@knowbodiesfull5768]

Those cars perched over the edge - ooh scary!

[@ashleighrobertson3201]

the car is always amazing

[@ats-3693]

Never heard of this until now

[@tobys_transport_videos]

I can only assume that there are scrape marks on the belly of the Monaro? I'll bet that bloke is thankful for a good wife and that he listened to her that night!!!

[@Thinginator]

If there are, I wouldn’t even want to restore that part of the car, it makes for a great story if anyone asks about it.

[@RobertB56]

It's in the motor museum in Launceston

[@chuckselvage3157]

Lucky bloke. Nice car.

[@1955marty]

I wonder if the number 2525 bus (with Sandra Bullock driving) (and a decent run up) could have jumped the gap?

[@rum5812]

well funny you bring that up this story over shadows the the ford cortina that was behind the holden

[@AdventureMotoEnduro]

Just remember more then a few cars did go over the edge ,

[@Jesse-B]

You could almost imagine putting your foot out and nothing's there, and just in the imagining I got a touch of vertigo... Sylvia saved the day. So now I start wondering what happened to the EK(?) Holden. *Edit Maybe FB Holden? Anyway I started wondering if they had a full tank of fuel at the time, it could have "tipped the balance" so to speak.

[@ldnwholesale8552]

EK Wagon. Murray Ling, Bellrieve newsagent.

[@rhettcorbett3346]

Is it still around ? Is it still at Launnie Car museum ? I'm a Ford man but like the HQ Monaros.

[@noelgibson5956]

It will be around forever. This baby is a part of Aussie folklore.

[@blumie006]

Gotta love the true blue

[@RT038]

👍👍👍

[@LukeJF89]

Almost lost the old HQ

[@bradleyminehan3247]

she was new back then

[@noelgibson5956]

A very Australian looking incident!

[@jamessimms415]

Would have shat all over myself….

[@mylittlesnakelovesitrough1350]

I'm here from my grandparents.

[@sherimerenda9758]

my dad has a 71 hq monaro gts 350 2 door in red everybody loves it

[@rum5812]

bullshit

[@bigboy9983]

Apparently the Monaro is worth more than the bridge cost to fix . . . .

[@frankiesultana3743]

Lucky …. A well balanced q

[@chiphood2966]

It was only the fact it was automatic that it didn't go over the edge. A manual gearbox wouldn't have got hung up

[@thecarwreckhunter]

that's what frank was saying about it, probably true too

[@scummyinoz]

mmmm i wonder if the fb-ek is still around?

[@spikedominikovichspikearoo1900]

yes the fb is around a aussie drove the car around europe the uk holden club has a article on there sight about the car hanging over the bridge

[@catey62]

Was thinking the same thing. it deserves its share of fame too.

[@GeeenJ]

its a ek wagon not fb as the guy that claims the car he took to europe is i met that guy in darwin in the early 90's he was showing his fb wagon at the darwin high school car show he was claiming it was the car but its not the ek wagon owner lived in rokeby not far from my sisters place it was a light pinkish colour with a white roof the guy claiming his fb is the car is 2 tone green he became quite aggitated when i called him out on it lol

[@rum5812]

@@GeeenJ yep nothing pisses folks off more when you call them out bullshit story

[@dgb5820]

Out of all places to park your car you had to park on the bridge

[@dgordon9645]

This car sorry this Aussie icon would have to be worth 2 million dollars!!!!

[@Fallakami]

Nah 30k

[@rum5812]

@@Fallakami 30k haaaaaaaaaaaa

[@harveypennicott5317]

Actually to all concerned the iconic car that hang over on the bridge survive all odds in one million years would never be seen again definitely it's worth 2 million may be more I'm born Tasmanian was at the Drive in pictures that night with my Two brothers we didn't know till we left to go drive back home on the easten shore unfortunately we had to drive right around back road from Bridge water which thousands of cars were line up to get through back high way took all night till day break before we got through it was hell that night but now a new second bridge was built the Bowen bridge pretty much the same only four lanes ,👍👍

[@jb7591]

Does anyone know what happened to the EK Holden?

[@catey62]

Apparently it is still around somewhere as well..someone else commented it's on the UK Holden club sight

[@martinsapsitis4292]

What about the fb wagon!

[@PFay]

Anyone know, was she a 350?

[@beagle7622]

The Prime Minister was furious from memory mucked up his overseas trip. I still cringe when I see that photo. A couple of others weren’t so lucky.

[@Gator1699]

Its a 71 coupe I had one 253 4 on the floor hounds tooth interior maroon in color.

[@railtrolley]

The HQ on the bridge is a 1974. The amber front bumper indicators give the year away. 71 and 72 HQs had clear indicators on the front bumper. 73 and 74 had amber indicators. A change in the lighting laws.

[@rum5812]

@@railtrolley well he never said that the car on the the bridge was a 71 MR wikipidia

[@pegasusgalaxy68]

The other car next tomonaro on the edgevof the bridge wonder what happened to the people in theat car

[@jecos1966]

What about the other car?

[@spikedominikovichspikearoo1900]

the other car is still around a bloke went around europe in it story is on the uk holden sight

[@danwils2470]

Fantastic video of Australian history shame about the last bit with turncoat Hawke

[@jadeandpearl-norwegianfore6911]

Some poo was made...