It might not have a V8, but this straight-six GTS is pure, untouched beauty

Like most of those who bought an HG Monaro back in the day, it’s unlikely that Chris Kanetis would have had any inkling that they would go on to become such a coveted classic – let alone be worth the astronomical sums of money they are selling for today.

Indeed, just who Chris was, what he did, and why he bought the car in the first place will probably remain a mystery as, sadly, he passed away in 1999 at the age of 87.

What we do know is that Chris was 58 when he collected his Kashmir White GTS 186S from Balmoral Holden in Cheltenham, Victoria on 11 November 1970 and kept it until the day he died. While we may never find out just what Chris got up to in his GTS, judging by how well this astonishingly original car has been preserved, it’s plain to see just how much he cherished his prized Monaro.

“It was just a beautiful, original car,” says Jim Bolassis, who would become the car’s second custodian in 2001. “I heard about the car through a third party. He brought it round to the garage and I instantly fell in love with it. Unfortunately, I never found out anything about Chris and his history with the car. You could tell that it had been his pride and joy, though; as the car came with receipts for just about every cent that he ever spent on it.”

Sifting through the car’s painstakingly documented history, it seems as if the GTS lived a fairly trouble-free life. After going through a few teething troubles, such as rattling windows and loose seats, the carbs needed to be rebuilt a few times, along with the gearbox; but aside from getting a lick of paint in the late 1980s, the old girl hasn’t required much beyond normal servicing to keep her ticking over.

With only 46,500 miles on the clock it isn't a surprise that the inside of the car is as good as the outside. (image credit: Survivor Car Australia)

Being the co-owner of Bentleigh Garage, Jim has spent most of his life working on classic cars. The comparatively ordinary six-cylinder GTS still holds some special memories for him. “I’ve got some great memories of the car,” says Jim. “We had some nice family drives in it. We often threw the kids in the back when they were younger and went for a drive. I did some nice rallies in it. We did the picnic at Hanging Rock a few times. It was a nice car to go for a cruise in.”

After 14 years of ownership, Jim put the Monaro up for sale in 2015 – but he wasn’t about to sell the car to just anybody. After fielding a few enquires from people looking to fit it with a V8, Jim finally got an offer from someone who was prepared to treat it with the respect such an original survivor deserves. “I had been casually looking for a GTS for while,” says current owner, Al D’Agostino. “Most of the cars I saw had been done up or modified and they just didn’t interest me. All I wanted was an original car – I didn’t care if it was a six or a V8. It just had to be original.”

Needless to say, with the GTS ticking all the right boxes, Al didn’t think twice about buying it.

“Cars like these simply don’t come around all that often,” he says. “For a 45-year-old car it was in amazing condition. It only had 74,800 kilometres on it, and it was still completely original."

“I think the old fella that originally had it put a chain on the radiator cap so he wouldn’t lose it. He also screwed the hubcaps to the rims so they wouldn’t fall off, which is quite funny. But they’re the only modifications that’ve been done to it – although I put a new quad-tip muffler on it not long ago to give it a little bit of a V8 look!”

This car looks fast even when it's sitting still. (image credit: Survivor Car Australia)

Although he doesn’t drive it that often, Al has no plans to sell the GTS anytime soon: “My sons-in-law would kill me!” he laughs.

But, if the time comes when he does have to part company with the Monaro, he’d be keen to see the car go to someone who would look after it properly. “The car has survived for so long in its original condition, it would be such a shame to see someone ruin it,” says Al.

Given just how meticulously he cared for his Monaro, it would be safe to assume that Chris would be happy to know that each of its subsequent custodians has treated it with the same care and respect he did.

Wherever the old fella is, you would have to think he’d get a kick to see that his pride and joy is exactly how he left it when he closed the garage door on it for the last time.

Source: Survivor Car Australia.

What do you think of Al D'Agostino's GTS? Would you prefer one over the V8 model? Tell us what you think in the comments.