About

I have enjoyed a life-long fascination with American cars, particularly Mercury and its Canadian relative, Monarch. I’m old enough to remember Turnpike Cruisers when they were new, but not the 118’s. The Merc is now scheduled to cease production after over 70 years and so will join Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Imperial, DeSoto, Thunderbird and of course Edsel in history’s graveyard. Perhaps this is as it should be -they all became pale shadows of what they once were..

10 Responses to About

  1. Angelia Baladon says:
    December 6, 2019 at 8:34 PM

    Hi Bill … I own a 1963 Mercury Meteor S-33 V8 Merc-o-matic that I’m trying to find a new parent for because I’m not able to give her the love she deserves but am compiling information on her history to the best of my knowledge and am having a hard time identifying if her engine got switched out with my Falcon in a bad mechanic mishap years ago. You have an aaaaaaamazing amount of information here and I’m have already spent literally hours reading and learning so much, but, many of the images of articles, technical data etc. that I believe might have the clues I need to sort this out, don’t enlarge when clicked so I’m wondering if you’re aware of this 😉 … it’s like seeing a block of gold but then realizing it’s just a mirage … ahahhahaha

    Reply
  2. Rob Douglas says:
    October 17, 2019 at 7:17 PM

    Hi,

    I was wondering if Mercury ever produced a hard top convertible (equivalent of the Ford Skyliner) for either the US or Canadian markets?

    Reply
    • Bill says:
      October 18, 2019 at 4:50 AM

      Hi Rob, The 1957-59 Ford Skyliner was the only retractable hardtop made by any manufacturer during the post-war Vintage Car era, (interestingly the Canadian Meteor did not offer this body style). You may see a few Edsels or the odd Turnpike Cruiser, but these are one-off custom projects. Some enthusiasts insist Thunderbird and Lincoln offered a retractable hardtop, but sadly, not true. These folks are likely confusing disappearing soft-tops stowed in the trunk (1958-66 Thunderbird, 1958-68 Continental) with the retractable. Of course many manufacturers today offer this body style. Regards, Bill

      Reply
  3. Fred Wallace says:
    February 25, 2017 at 12:06 AM

    Hi . Great site you have.
    Have a low miles ( 58,000) 1959 Monarch Richelieu 2 door Hardtop. Real fun to drive, but thinking I should look at replacing the interior at some point. Do you have a source for this. It has a combination of vinyl and fabric. The vinyl I have found; the fabric is a very complex weave with gold and silver in it. Any help would be appreciated. If anyone else has one of these I would love to hear from them. Never seen another around here.
    Fred

    Reply
    • Bill says:
      March 11, 2017 at 2:26 PM

      Hi Fred, My apologies for not replying sooner. The 59’s are right up there among my favorite Monarchs & Mercurys. They had it all – looks, size, power, prestige, but hit the market just as Mercury was trying to promote an image of thrift! There are not many around today, especially a 2-door Cruiser, and you certainly won’t see one at every show & shine you attend – same for the 59 Mercurys. Model for model, upholstery for 59 Mercury and Monarch are the same. I deal with SMS Auto Fabrics. They’re a bit slow but quality is good. https://www.smsautofabrics.com/
      Send me some pictures and I’ll put them on the site. Where are you? Can’t remember the last time I saw a 59 Richelieu 2-door Cruiser. There’s a Lucerne in Calgary and a 60 Richelieu Cruiser in Quebec.
      Best Regards, Bill

      Reply
  4. John Robinson says:
    October 7, 2014 at 1:31 PM

    I also have an interest in all things Meteor, Monarch and Frontenac. Is there a car club to support hobbyists for those marques?

    Reply
    • Bill says:
      October 7, 2014 at 8:16 PM

      Hi John, Unfortunately I don’t know of any. As things progress I hope to add articles on these makes. The Frontenac is really rare, having been made only one year – 1960. There was one for sale recently in Ontario.

      Reply
      • John Robinson says:
        October 8, 2014 at 7:22 AM

        Thanks for the quick reply. I have the Perry Zavitz books “Monarch Meteor” and “Canadian Cars, 1946-1984”. Are there any other books on the subject? Thanks again!

        Reply
  5. Don Little says:
    December 26, 2012 at 11:51 AM

    I share your enthusiasm for the Monarchs and Meteors.Have owned 2 1956 Monarch Richelieu models.The first in 1961-1964 was a black sport sedan.
    The second was a 1956 Richelieu convertible 2007-2009 yellow and black.
    Both great driving cars even after more than 40 years between them.

    Reply

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