View source for Mercury Monarch

{{Infobox Automobile
| name = Mercury Monarch
| image = [[Image:MERCURY1978.JPG|250px]]
| manufacturer = [[Mercury (automobile)|Mercury]]
| parent_company = [[Ford Motor Company]]
| production = 1975-1980
| class = [[Mid-size]]
| predecessor = [[Mercury Comet]]
| body_style = 4-door [[sedan (car)|sedan]]<br />2-door [[sedan (car)|sedan]]
| layout = [[FR layout]]
| related = [[Ford Granada]]<Br>[[Lincoln Versailles]]
| assembly = [[Mahwah, New Jersey]]<br>[[Wayne, Michigan]]
| engine = 200 cid [[I6]]<Br>250 cid [[I6]]<Br>302 cid [[V8]]<Br>351 cid [[Ford Windsor engine|Windsor]] [[V8]]
}}

The '''Mercury Monarch''' was released in 1975 alongside the [[Ford Granada (North America)|Ford Granada]], 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&nbsp;cid inline six cylinder engine, with a 250&nbsp;cid inline six optional. V8 power came from two engines: the 302&nbsp;cid and 351&nbsp;cid [[Ford Windsor engine|Windsor]]. 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, replaced by the popular [[Mercury Cougar|Cougar]].

A total of 575,567 were produced.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.gmv-registry.com/21869.html |title=Production & Registry Totals |work=The Granada-Monarch-Versailles Registry |accessdate=2008-05-20}}</ref>

==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]] trim
* [[Vinyl roof]]
* [[Liquid crystal display]] [[clock]]
* Leather-wrapped [[steering wheel]]
* [[Power steering]]
* Dual map lights
* Illuminated visor vanity mirror (passenger side) 
* 14 inch, [[Alloy wheels|cast-aluminum spoke wheels]]
* [[Ignition_system#Electronic_ignition|Solid-state ignition]]
* [[Whitewall]] [[Radial tire|steel-belted radial tires]]
* Reclining [[bucket seats]] with matching map pockets 
* Plusher carpeting and soundproofing

According to the May 1976 edition of [[Car and Driver]], [[Henry Ford II]] 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, [[Lincoln (automobile)|Lincoln]] introduced  the [[Lincoln Versailles|Versailles]], 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 they began selling a Granada-clone rather than a product that significantly differentiated itself from other Ford products.

==See also==
*[[Ford Granada (North America)]]
*[[Lincoln Versailles]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www3.sympatico.ca/bkeevil/mercurymonarch/ Mercury Monarch]
*[http://www.monarchsource.com Monarch Source - History and Information resource for the Ford Monarch from 1946 - 1953]
*[http://www.gmv-registry.com American Granada, Monarch & Versailles Registry & Forums]
[[Image:KOMO TV4 Car 01.JPG|thumb|left|200px|1978 "KOMO-TV" Mercury Monarch 4d sedan involved in the 1980 eruption of [[Mount Saint Helens]] ]]

{{Mercury historic timeline}}
{{Mercury Vehicles}}

[[Category:Mercury vehicles]]
[[Category:Goods manufactured in the United States]]