Orphan of the Day, 09-08, 1956 Monarch Richelieu

[8E45E]

Craig

[showbizkid]

That really turns me on!

So let me get this straight: In the 50s, Canada had Fords, Monarchs and Meteors? No Lincolns?

[Jim B PEI]

Ford Monarchs and Mercury Meteors. In the late 40s/50s/early 60s some cars sort of disappeared (like Buicks for awhile, and I don't remember seeing any Lincolns except on TV, in magazine, and sometimes US visitors) due to currency restrictions/import duties. There is a note in the Lamberti Papers I think about this effect.
In the US, the Mercurys were longer wheelbase than Fords (at least in the late 40s--113 and 117 come to mind); ditto Dodge versus Plymouth, and Pontiac versus Chevrolet. In Canada, we built Chevrolet, Ford, and Plymouth, and to fill out the lines in the showrooms, Plymouth bodied Dodges, Chevrolet bodied Pontiacs, and Ford bodied Mercurys were built, and had the upper marque trim without all the price. The Pontiacs were only available with the Chevrolet 6, no Pontiac straight 8s were available. I seem to recal that the Monarch was a fancier Ford, in line with a Mercury. Was it available but called something else in the US? The glass roof models like the Sun Valley/???? --what was the line name in the US?

[studegary]

I sure like the looks of my 1956 Mercury Montclair two door hardtop much better.
The USA equivalent of the car pictured would be a 1956 Mercury Phaeton.

[dictator27]

The Chev bodied Canadian Pontiacs used the Pontiac flathead 6 up to 1954.

Terry

[64V-K7]

has a sembance to a 58 Packard