Rare Mercury Reborn: 1956 Monarch Returns to the Road After Long Barn Storage

According to Merriam-Webster, a monarch is defined as “a person who rules over a kingdom or empire.” What many people don’t realize, however, is that Monarch was also once the name of an automobile brand built in Canada by Ford.

The Monarch name actually dates back earlier, to an American company established by Joseph Bloom in 1913. Based in Aurora, Illinois, the Monarch Motor Car Company produced vehicles in Detroit, Michigan, but only remained in operation for about three years before going bankrupt in 1916.

Ford of Canada revived the Monarch name in 1946, introducing a lineup closely related to Mercury models sold in the United States. While mechanically similar, these cars featured unique styling details tailored to Canadian buyers. The brand was discontinued in 1958 following the launch of the Edsel, though Ford briefly brought Monarch back for 1959. It was ultimately phased out after the 1961 model year.

Monarch remains one of Ford’s lesser-known divisions. It was created to serve smaller Canadian markets where a single dealership needed to offer vehicles positioned above Ford but below luxury brands. In a similar way, the Meteor brand was introduced to provide a more affordable alternative within the Lincoln-Mercury network.

Like other Canada-specific nameplates, Monarch never achieved strong sales compared to its American counterparts. Production records indicate that just 95,450 units were built across 15 model years, making surviving examples relatively uncommon today.

The 1956 four-door sedan featured here is especially rare—only about 700 were produced. Built in Oakville, Ontario, this example is a Richelieu model, the top-tier trim level at the time. It sat above the mid-range Lucerne and the base Custom in the lineup.

What makes this car stand out even more is its originality. It’s an unrestored survivor showing just 18,000 miles on the odometer. After reportedly sitting in a barn for over a decade, it was purchased at auction by its current owner without a prior inspection—a gamble that paid off.

As expected with long-term storage, the car shows signs of age, including faded paint and an interior that needs attention. Even so, it’s in better condition than many classics that have been neglected for years. Under the hood, it still carries its original 312-cubic-inch Y-block V8, which has already been brought back to life.

While the Monarch still requires significant work before it can return to regular driving duty, its revival is encouraging. Cars like this—unrestored and largely untouched—are becoming increasingly hard to find.

In 1956, Monarch produced 7,998 vehicles, down from 9,623 the previous year. This particular body style, known as the Phaeton, featured a pillarless four-door design. It was exclusive to the Richelieu trim, which was also available as a convertible. In many ways, the Richelieu closely mirrored the American Mercury Montclair, sharing both styling cues and overall positioning in the market.