Rick's Monarch, Versailles... and Mustang :)

1977 Mercury Monarch 2-door - Powered by 302CID V8 engine with C4 automatic transmission.
Here is what Rick says about his car and it's history:
My father, Harold, bought this car new in the Spring of 1976. It was a 1977 model purchased at Thomas Motors in Bremerton, Washington. I believe he paid around $5,000 for it. I was surprised when he bought this. He wasn't in the habit of purchasing new vehicles. Also, dad was in his late 60s at that time. I thought this was a pretty sporty looking car for him. Again, a bit out of his character.

I purchased the car from him in late 1980, with 64,000 miles on it. They had kept it garaged, so it was like new. Unfortunately, I didn't have a garage and Western Washington weather takes a toll of a vehicle left outside. The car was always a smooth riding vehicle. It had a minimal number of options which is probably why it held up so well. In an era of less than stellar quality, this car excelled.

I did very little to it over the years that I drove it. I sold it in the early 1990s, after putting around 100,000 additional miles on it. I would have liked to have kept it but I didn't have the space to keep a third car. The interior color was the same as the vinyl top. Quite a pleasing combination. The biggest problem I had with this car was hood ornaments. I went through several and eventually, Ford stopped stocking them.

I suspect Monarch had less than 100 miles on it when I took these shots. These pictures were taken in the spring (probably early May) of 1977. I think this was a very nice looking car. BTW. The orange 1970 Mustang was my car at the time. It looked fast, but it only had a 302 with a four barrel carb. I had visions of a Boss 302 or 428 Cobrajet. Since I was on my parents' insurance policy, my dad had other ideas. I guess it was all for the best. Had I have gotten a high performance car, at that age I probably would have gotten into much trouble. The Mustang was fun to have owned, but it wasn't a very well constructed car. I sold it in 1980, when I bought the Monarch from my dad. I put over 100,000 miles on the Mustang over seven years and sold it for $500 more than I paid for it. Not bad!

This was a 1979 Versailles that I owned in the late 1980s. I was in my late 30s at the time, and my friends couldn't understand why anyone in our age group would be interested in such a vehicle. I guess you either liked them or you didn't. At the time, I still owned the 1977 Monarch coupe. I thought the Versailles might have some collector's potential due to the low production numbers. What I didn't understand was how different the two vehicles were mechanically. It didn't take me long to realize that there was no way I could maintain such a complex car in its original state. Not long after this picture was taken (in Anacortes, Washington), someone hit me. The car was still drivable, but I sold it. I have to say that I am glad that I had the opportunity to own and drive a Versailles, even if it was for a short while. It was an interesting vehicle, to say the least.

Thank you, Rick, for photos and description of your Monarch, Versailles and Mustang.