The
Mercury Monarch was a mid-sized sedan manufactured by the
Ford Motor CompanyThe Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...
from 1975 through 1980. The Mercury Monarch was released in 1975 alongside the
Ford GranadaThe Ford Granada was an intermediate sized car built and marketed by Ford Motor Company in North America from 1975 to 1982, along with its sister models, the Mercury Monarch, and Lincoln Versailles. The Granada was touted by Ford as a rival to the similarly sized Mercedes-Benz 280 of the time. The...
, which was mechanically similar. Monarch justified a price hop over the Granada by offering an improved interior and a different exterior. The base engine was Ford's 200 cid inline six cylinder engine, with a 250 cid
inline sixThe straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft...
optional. V8 power came from two engines: the 302 cid and 351 cid
WindsorThe Windsor engine is a 90-degree small-block V8 from Ford Motor Company. It was introduced in 1962, replacing the old Ford Y-block engine. Though not all of the engines in this family were produced at the Windsor, Ontario engine plant , the name stuck...
.
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The
Mercury Monarch was a mid-sized sedan manufactured by the
Ford Motor CompanyThe Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...
from 1975 through 1980. The Mercury Monarch was released in 1975 alongside the
Ford GranadaThe Ford Granada was an intermediate sized car built and marketed by Ford Motor Company in North America from 1975 to 1982, along with its sister models, the Mercury Monarch, and Lincoln Versailles. The Granada was touted by Ford as a rival to the similarly sized Mercedes-Benz 280 of the time. The...
, which was mechanically similar. Monarch justified a price hop over the Granada by offering an improved interior and a different exterior. The base engine was Ford's 200 cid inline six cylinder engine, with a 250 cid
inline sixThe straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft...
optional. V8 power came from two engines: the 302 cid and 351 cid
WindsorThe Windsor engine is a 90-degree small-block V8 from Ford Motor Company. It was introduced in 1962, replacing the old Ford Y-block engine. Though not all of the engines in this family were produced at the Windsor, Ontario engine plant , the name stuck...
. In the late 1970s, as a gas shortage scare hit the United States, a redesigned smaller version of the Ford Granada was put forward and the Monarch nameplate would be dropped with no replacement.
A total of 575,567 were produced.
Mercury Grand Monarch Ghia
The
Mercury Grand Monarch Ghia was an upscale version of the Monarch built in 1975 and 1976. Grand Monarch Ghia had four-wheel disc brakes with a sophisticated central hydraulic power system as standard equipment.
Other standard luxury features include:
- Leather
Leather is a material created through the tanning of hides and skins of animals, primarily cattlehide. The tanning process converts the putrescible skin into a durable and versatile material....
trim
- Vinyl roof
Vinyl roof refers to a vinyl covering for an automobile's top. This covering was originally designed to give the appearance of a convertible to models with a fixed roof, but eventually it evolved into a styling statement in its own right. Vinyl roofs were most popular in the American market, and...
- Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display is a thin, flat panel used for electronically displaying information such as text, images, and moving pictures...
clockA clock is an instrument used to indicate, measure, keep, and co-ordinate time. The word clock is derived ultimately from the Celtic words clagan and clocca meaning "bell"...
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel
A steering wheel is a type of steering control in vehicles and vessels ....
- Power steering
Power steering , assists the driver of an automobile in steering by directing a portion of the vehicle's power to traverse the axis of one or more of the roadwheels. On road going vehicles there has to be a mechanical linkage as a fail safe...
- Dual map lights
- Illuminated visor vanity mirror (passenger side)
- 14 inch, cast-aluminum spoke wheels
- Solid-state ignition
- Whitewall steel-belted radial tires
A radial tire is a particular design of automotive tire . The first radial tire designs were patented in 1915 by Arthur W...
- Reclining bucket seats with matching map pockets
- Plusher carpeting and soundproofing
According to the May 1976 edition of
Car and DriverCar and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. Its total circulation is 1.31 million. It is owned by Hachette Filipacchi Magazines. Originally headquartered in New York City, the magazine has been based in Ann Arbor, Michigan since the late 1970s.-History:Car and Driver was founded...
,
Henry Ford IIHenry Ford II , commonly known as "HF2" and "Hank the Deuce", was the son of Edsel Ford and grandson of Henry Ford...
and three out of five of Ford’s top executives used the Mercury Grand Monarch Ghia as their personal car.
Lincoln Versailles
In the spring of 1977,
LincolnLincoln is the luxury brand of Ford Motor Company. Founded in 1917 by Henry M. Leland and acquired by Ford in 1922, Lincoln has manufactured vehicles since the 1920s. Leland named the brand after his longtime hero Abraham Lincoln.-History:...
introduced the
VersaillesThe Lincoln Versailles was the first mid-size car from Ford Motor Company's Lincoln luxury division. It was sold from 1977 to 1980, as a four-door sedan only, with a total production of 50,156. The Versailles was largely a response to the great success of the smaller Cadillac Seville which had...
, based on the Granada/Monarch platform. The Versailles had many of the same luxury features as the Mercury Grand Monarch Ghia but it was not successful. Lincoln's identity suffered when it began selling a Granada-clone rather than a product that significantly differentiated itself from other Ford products.
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