Mercury Monarch

This article covers the Mercury Monarch mid-range vehicle manufactured in the United States by Ford Motor Company from 1975 to 1980 . For the automobile brand Monarch, which was offered on the Canadian market from 1946 to 1961, see the article Monarch (car) .

Mercury
Mercury Monarch (1978)
monarch
Production period:	1975-1980
Class :	Middle class
Body versions :	Limousine , coupe
Engines:	Petrol engines : 3.3-5.8 liters (71-101 kW)
Length:	5020 mm
Width:	1880 mm
Height:	1360 mm
Wheelbase :	2790 mm
Empty weight :	1490 kg
Previous model	Mercury Comet
successor	Mercury Cougar

Mercury Monarch (1976)

Mercury Monarch Coupe (1977)

The Mercury Monarch was a car model of the American brand Mercury , which belonged to the Ford Motor Company . The Monarch is a sister model of the American Ford Granada, which was offered in the same period, and is almost completely identical to it both technically and externally.

Model history

Like the Granada, the Monarch was developed in the early 1970s with the aim of replacing the outdated compact models Ford Maverick and Mercury Comet . The Monarch and the Granada used numerous technical components of the Maverick / Comet, including the wheel suspension and suspension. The wheelbase was also identical to the four-door versions of the older vehicles. The design of the body, however, was independent compared to the Comet. It was based on the lines of the Mercedes-Benz "Stroke-Eight" , which was very successful in the USA .

Initially, four engine variants were offered: two six-cylinder engines with 3.3 and 4.1 liter displacement and 71 and 72 kW (96 and 98 hp) and two eight-cylinder engines with 4.9 and 5.8 Liter displacement and 90 or 99 kW (122 or 134 hp). From 1978 there were only two engines on offer, a six-cylinder engine with a displacement of 4.1 liters and 71 kW (97 hp) and an eight-cylinder engine with a displacement of 4.9 liters and 101 kW (137 hp). With the latter, an acceleration of 0-100 km in 12 seconds and a top speed of 170 km / h was possible.

Furnishing

The Monarch was offered as a four-door sedan or as a two-door coupé. It was well-equipped compared to other American compact cars; Car & Driver magazine noted that the Monarch was the end of the days when small cars were Spartan. Three-speed automatic, metallic paint, central door locking and an illuminated footwell were available. The Ghia version was available for a surcharge of $ 500 and also had a radio cassette player, electric windows, cruise control and air conditioning.

Technical specifications

• Empty weight: 1,490 kg
• Length: 5.02 m
• Width: 1.88 m
• Height: 1.36 m
• Wheelbase: 2.79 m
• Turning circle: 11.90 m
• Driven axis: rear
• Transmission: four-speed automatic
• Consumption: 12–16 liters / 100 km
• Top speed: 145–170 km / h

Prices

The four-door basic version of the Mercury Monarch cost US $ 3,822 when it was launched in 1975; it was 70 US- $ more expensive than the identical Ford Granada. In its final year of production, the base price for the four-door version was $ 5,751.

production

The Mercury Monarch was positioned in the market niche of the so-called “mid-size” cars when it was presented. It was between the compact Bobcat models and the intermediate vehicles of the Montego and Cougar types .

The Granada-Monarch duo was initially very successful on the market because it was suitably sized for the time after the first oil crisis , when American customers were demanding smaller, more economical cars. They were described in the American press as cars with a European touch that stood out from conventional American construction and design principles. In the retrospective, the Monarch and Granada models are seen as the most important new developments by Ford Motor Company in the first half of the 1970s.

However, the monarch was less successful than the Ford Granada. Its production numbers were well below those of the sister model:

Ford Granada and Mercury Monarch production figures
Model year	Ford Granada	Mercury Monarch
1975	302,658	103.936
1976	548.784	145.823
1977	390,579	127,697
1978	249,786	91.714
1979	182,376	75,879
1980	90,429	30,518
total	1,764,612	575,567

Germany import

It was possible to order the Mercury Monarch from Ford Germany and import it via Bremerhaven. The selling price for a four-door Monarch in the basic version in 1976 was 23,800 DM, which roughly corresponded to a fully equipped Ford Granada of German production or a Mercedes 280 sedan. The four-door Ghia version with a 5.8 liter V8 engine and air conditioning cost 26,600 DM. In total, only about 50 Monarchs were sold.

successor

For the 1981 model year, Mercury (as well as for the Granada) presented a successor. The new car was based on the Fox platform and was therefore closely related to the Mercury Zephyr . However, while the identically constructed Ford version was given the name Granada, Mercury gave up the name Monarch in 1981. The monarch's successor was instead given the name Mercury Cougar , a traditional name that was introduced in 1967 for a twin of the Ford Mustang and has since been used for models of various classes.

literature

• Albert R. Bochroch: American Cars of the Seventies . Warne's Transport Library, London 1982. ISBN 0-7232-2870-1 .
• John Gunnell: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975. Krause Publications, Iola 2002. ISBN 0-87349-461-X , p. 444 ff.
• James M. Flammang, Ron Kowalke: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1976-1999. Krause Publications, Iola 1999. ISBN 0-87341-755-0 , pp. 466-510.
• Richard M. Langworth: Encyclopedia of American Cars 1930-1980. New York (Beekman House) 1984. ISBN 0-517-42462-2 .
• John Dinkel: Technical Analysis: Ford Granada & Mercury Monarch . Road & Track, issue 8/1974, p. 36 ff.
• NN: Ford Granada: Small Cars Stop Being Spartan . Car & Driver, issue 8/1974, p. 28 ff.

Web links

Commons : Mercury Monarch  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Sales brochure Mercury 1979 with images of the Monarch

Individual evidence

1. ↑ On the design: Road & Track, issue 8/1974, p. 36.
2. ↑ Car and Driver, Heft 8/1974, p. 28 ff. (And title page).
3. ↑ Langworth: Encyclopedia of American Cars 1930–1980, pp. 464 ff.
4. ^ Road & Track, Issue 8/1974, p. 36 ff.
5. ^ Langworth: Encyclopedia of American Cars 1930-1980, p. 316.
6. ↑ Information according to www.gmv-registry.com ( Memento of the original dated May 30, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (accessed on August 2, 2012). 
7. ↑ Auto Catalog No. 20 (1976/77), p. 152.