Wandering about the Goodguys Del Mar Nationals this past April, we stumbled across one unique specimen that we couldn’t leave without learning more about. We’re talking about Marc Henry’s 1947 Mercury Monarch, which is customized to a degree we’ve never seen.
Traveling from Lakeside, California, Henry brought out his beloved custom to the Del Mar Nationals for hot rod enthusiasts to feast their eyes on.
A Mad Scientist
“I was fortunate enough to find the Monarch,” said Henry. “I saw the the possibilities with it and I have always liked the body style from a young age up until now.”
According to Henry, the kustom ’47 took five years to build and over 5,000 hours of labor. “I knew the design I wanted and utilized 27 different car makes and models to put this thing together,” he said. “You see very few kustoms today because they are so expensive to build. With 5,000 man hours put into the car, you do the math — it’s not cheap.”
Henry’s vision of the Monarch was to build a beauty that was vintage and original. “Well a lot of the stylings today are traditional and have been done since the 50s,” he said.
Coming up with something unique was difficult and that was the true challenge.
– Mark Henry
Henry said his biggest influence that got him into the kustom rod scene was George Barris and Gene Winfield, whom he both praises for their traditional design and vision. George Barris is famous for building several Hollywood cars, including the Batmobile.
“The Merc has a lot of Cadillac influence,” he said. “The decking, the clusters, I liked his vision.”
Without further ado, let’s jump into the build and what Henry had to accomplish to get this beauty to where it is now.
Creating The Dream
With the top chopped a staggering six inches, Henry was quite ambitious with his Monarch. “It may be drastic, but that’s what looks good with the extension of the doors,” Henry said. “A lot of the parts were hard to find.”
Calling his Monarch a timeless classic, Henry filled us in on some of the interesting parts of his kustom. He said the front bumper came off a 1953 Kaiser and rear bumper off a 1953 Lincoln.
Furthermore, he said the bumpers are reverse lifted and sectioned. Interestingly, Henry said the front bumper is actually a rear as the rear bumper is a front. We couldn’t tell the difference until Henry pointed it out to us.
Other custom pieces include a 1948 Cadillac grille, 1948 DeSoto tops, Model T headlights, and 1953 frenched headlights. The spotlights are made up of seven to eight different spotlights.
Renowned automotive customizer Gene Winfield fabricated a special set of taillights, which were installed onto the Monarch. “Everything is hidden and smooth, the Monarch came out really nice,” he said.
“We did all the work ourselves, but I have a lot of good friends that are true artists,” he said.
You notice there are no ripples in the paint, the car rides like a dream, and everything is just done correctly.
– Mark Henry
The inside of the Monarch is also fascinating, with Henry telling us the interior was pulled from a 1964 Ford Thunderbird. Surprisingly, the dashboard stems from a 1951 Ford, adding even more originality to the adventurous Monarch.
A 300 horsepower V8 engine and a Camaro rearend helps put every bit of power to the pavement. He also said that everything is chromed out under the hood.
“The engine is detailed but normally back in the 50s we didn’t really detail the engines,” he said. “It’s subtle and quiet, not loud and obnoxious.”
A Year To Remember
Henry’s Monarch was completed in 2011, and he couldn’t be any more than pleased with the results.
“I’m most proud of the overall outcome,” he said. “I drove it up to Sacramento for the Autorama in 2011. Everyone else brought theirs up in trailers.”
However, the drive wasn’t easy as Henry hit a few problems on the drive to Sacramento. “I had some issues with the gas tank and driveshaft,” he said. “It was fun, but we still made it nonetheless.”
Henry took his Monarch to several events after it was finished in 2011. Driving it to the Grand National Roadsters Show, Henry and his kustom took home top honors with the Sam Barris Memorial Award and was one of the top 12 finalists at the Sacramento Autorama that same year.
Cruising down to the Goodguys Del Mar Nationals near the sunny shores of Southern California, Henry’s Monarch won Custom of the Year. Finally, Henry’s Monarch won the Barris award for best customization.
With the kustom Monarch just breaking 5,000 miles this past April, Henry likes to keep his Mercury low key and away from the spotlight.
“We hide the car to a degree because we don’t want to give it too much exposure,” he said. “It’s got classic and timeless lines that shouldn’t be seen so often.”
As for future plans, Henry said there really aren’t any for the Monarch as he stressed that less is more. “I got a badge from getting this car into the custom hall of fame in Sacramento,” he said. “However, I can’t find a place for it without it ruining the look of the car.”
Observing It All
After all is said and done, Mark Henry’s Mercury Monarch is a true product of its environment. Far from being a trailer queen, Henry enjoys his masterpiece. It is truly astonishing that he blended so many different cars into one single entity.
“It has the whole gamut,” he said. “From brakes to clutch, it has it all.”
The car may be nameless, but it is definitely worthy of any name Henry may feel fits. As for his advice to everyone, he was curt and concise.
“Everyone needs to read, you can’t know everything yourself,” he said. “I have over 1,000 magazines at my house. That’s where all my ideas and inspirations stem from.”
A unique build in its own right, we hope to see Henry’s Monarch more often as we are attracted to the beauty despite its rare sightings. Henry’s kustom is a diamond in the rough and a timeless automobile that shouldn’t be overlooked.