Mercury’s Fab Four Cougars

Story and photos by John Gunnell

Ford’s Mustang was the outstanding sales success of the ‘60s. It became the best-selling new car in history and sired many copycats made by other automakers. These became known as “pony cars,” a term inspired by the Mustang’s galloping horse logo.

The concept behind the pony car could be traced to the sports car craze that swept America after World War II. It started with the MG TC and Jaguar XK-120. But the Mustang was not a true sports car. Ford had learned a lesson with the two-seat Thunderbirds of 1955-1957. While the early “T-Birds” quickly became classics, they proved that the market for two-passenger cars in America was not a very big one.

Mercury’s “Sign-of-the-Cat” car is probably the most collectible model to come from Ford’s Mercury Div. in the ‘60s. It was based on the Mustang, but had a three-inch longer wheelbase and fancier body and interior trim. Overall length was stretched even further. The Mustang was 183.6 inches and the Cougar was 190.3 inches-nearly seven inches longer. The base Cougar engine in 1967 was a 289-cid V8 with 200 hp. Buyers could add a four-barrel version of the same engine with 235 hp or opt for a GT 390 model with 320 hp.

Only a two-door hardtop was available and it stickered for $2,851. For $230 additional, you could get a much more impressive XR-7 version. It didn’t look much different outside, except for a model medallion on the rear roof quarter and special wheel covers. Inside, the interior was really something else. It featured a walnut finish dash, leather-and-vinyl upholstery trim and an aircraft-style overhead console with a functional aircraft look. One advertisement showed a beautiful dark green Cougar XR-7 with a tan interior. One look and you wanted to own the car–-the interior was oh so cool!

The GT had a firmer suspension with solid rear bushings, stiffer springs, big 1.1875-inch shocks and a fat anti-roll bar. Power front disc brakes, 8.95x14 Wide-Oval tires, special I.D. and a low-restriction exhaust

This ’68 Cougar coupe (you can tell by the side marker lights that were government mandated in 1968) was for sale at the Iola Old Car Show in Iola, Wis.

system were included. The GT’s 1:10 power-to-weight ratio provided driving excitement. Transmission choices included 3- or 4-speed synchromesh or a 3-speed Merc-0-Matic with manual shifting to second below 71 mph or to first below 20 mph. Specific manual gearboxes were used with the 390. A 3.00 “Power Transfer” axle was standard and a 3.25 version was an extra-cost option.

The Cougar was a more substantial car than the Mustang. It outweighed its cousin by over 400 lbs. Mercury did a good job of promoting it as a luxury model. Car magazines must have gotten many free loaners, because they gushed over the XR-7’s upgraded personality and performance and helped push the new car towards an upscale clientele. Early statistics showed that the average Cougar owner was 37 years old, attended college and earned about $10,000. One out of every six early Cougar buyers was female. Like the Mustang, the Cougar was successful. Early Cougar sales pushed the Mercury division to all-time sales highs for November and December 1966. In all, 26,470 Cougars were delivered to buyers before the calendar flipped to 1967. Those weren’t exactly Mustang numbers, but they were great for Mercury. A total of 48,013 builds were recorded in calendar year 1966. For the model year, production wound up at 150,893 cars, making the Cougar the bestselling 1967 model out of all Mercury Division products.

The 1968 Mercury Cougar retained the same styling, but in its second year it could be ordered with an optional front bench seat. A 302-cid V8 replaced the 289 as base engine. The Cougar also got its first real optional high-performance package. This was the 7.0-litre GT-E, which was an add-on for both the standard Cougar and the XR-7.

Although the Cougar was aimed at the sporty luxury niche, the 1968 GT-E was its first step into the muscle car sweepstakes. The option included a 390-hp “E” version of Ford’s 427-cid V8, plus a SelectShift Merc-0-Matic transmission, a performance handling package, styled steel wheels, power disc brakes and a non-functional “power dome” hood scoop. A 7.1 second 0-to-60 mph time was published in the enthusiast magazines.

Putting the 427 in the Cougar was short-lived because the engine was discontinued. Later in the model year, the Cougar got the 428 Cobra Jet V8. To keep insurance agents and bean counters happy, the big-block carried a rating of 335 hp. Because it had a longer stroke, the 428 had

A fine unrestored example of the ’69 Cougar Eliminator 28 SCJ with new paint and detailing was brought to the Iola show by owners from Fort Frances, Ontario.

Another car seen at MCACN in Chicago is Benoit Holloway’s ’70 Mercury Cougar 28 Eliminator that hails from Marion, Louisiana.

an easier time with emission requirements. Its actual power output was estimated to be close to the choked down 427E it replaced.

A limited-edition Cougar XR-7G was also a 1968 model. The “G” stood for race driver “Dan Gurney” who drove for Mercury. Gurney piloted Bill Stroppe-prepared ‘67 Cougars in the SCCA Trans-American sedan racing series. The rare XR-7G option package was mainly an assortment of “gingerbread” and any engine from the base 302-cid V8 up. The option included a fibreglass hood scoop, road lamps, a racing mirror, hood pins and a power sun roof (which could also be ordered for other ‘68 Cougars).

At the rear of the Cougar XR-7G, four exhaust tips poked through the valance panel. New spoke-type wheels held radial FR70-14 tires. Special-emblem badges were on the instrument panel, roof pillar, deck lid and grille. XR-7Gs were not widely promoted in 1968 and very few were made, making the survivors highly prized by collectors today.

The ’68 Cougar was advertised as, “Pound for pound and dollar for dollar the best equipped luxury sports car in America.” Lincoln-Mercury dealers set new all-time sales records in ‘68, but buyer interest in the Cougar died down--as it does for many second-year models. A total of 112,166 Cougars were retailed by dealers in calendar-year ‘68, an almost seven percent decrease from year one. Model-year production also dropped by 24.6 percent. However, calendar-year production of Cougars dropped just 1.5 percent.

With a new convertible, ’69 Cougars were completely restyled. The overall theme was the same, except for a Buick-like “S-curve” body side feature line and a peak on the centre of the hood. The ‘69 grille had horizontal pieces that protruded slightly at the centre. pin stripes; wraparound back-up lights; taillights trimmed with concave chrome; foam-padded vinyl bucket seats and carpeting. The Cougar Eliminator model released in the middle of the model year was aimed at muscle car fans and came only as a hardtop.

The new Cougars were three-and-a-half inches longer and about three inches wider. The base engine was a 351-cid 250-hp V8. Options included a 290-hp 351, a 390-cid 320-hp job and the 335-hp 428 Cobra-Jet V8. The big engine came with functional Ram Air, which did not boost its advertised horsepower, but you can bet it boosted how fast the car would go both in the “Stoplight Grand Prix” and in the showroom sales race.

Cougar Eliminators included front/rear spoilers, a blacked-out grille, a hood scoop, Argent Silver styled wheels, body side striping, a rally clock and a tachometer. The 351-cid V8 with 290 hp was standard. Ford’s

Cougars of the ‘60s were not wildly successful cars, but they were machines buyers could be proud to own. The pony car was successful in reviving the performance image that Mercury had once had in the ‘40s and ‘50s. From the late ‘50s until the Cougar came along, the company became best known for building large, flashy cars. The new Cougar model proved that Mercury knew how to make something other than land yachts.

Top Eliminator was a familiar term to drag racing buffs, but to Mercury fans in 1970 the term meant “hot Cougar.” Car Life recommended, “Think of it as a family car with guts and you’ll be happy with it.” Evolutionary design changes characterized the new Cougars. They included a vertical grille and a forward-thrusting front end. Promoted as “America’s most completely equipped sports car,” the new Cougar grille had a centre hood extension and an “electric shaver” look. Its design was reminiscent of the 1967-’68 grille.

Features for basic Cougars included upper body pin stripes, wheel opening mouldings, roof mouldings and windshield and rear window chrome accents. The sporty interior featured high-back bucket seats, courtesy lights, carpeted door panels, a vinyl headliner and a rosewood-toned dash. The Cougar convertible had a Comfortweave vinyl interior, door-mounted courtesy lights, a three-spoke steering wheel and a power top with a folding rear glass window. There was a two-door hardtop with a base retail price of $2,917. Prices for the convertible started at $3,264. Only 2,322 ragtops were made.

XR-7s had distinct wheel covers, rocker mouldings, a remote-control racing mirror and a rear roof pillar emblem. Interiors included vinyl high-back bucket seats with leather accents, map pockets on the seat backs, a tachometer, a trip odometer, a rocker-switch display, a burled walnut vinyl applique on the instrument panel, rear seat armrests, map and courtesy lights, a visual check panel, loop yarn nylon carpeting and an electric clock with elapsed-time indicator. XR-7s came in the same body styles as the base Cougar, at $3,201, and $3,465, respectively. The XR-7 ragtop had a run of just 1,977 units.

The 1970 Eliminator was the “grand finale.” A new 351 Cleveland fourbarrel V8 rated at 300 hp was standard. There were options galore for the muscle car’s engine compartment including the Boss 302, the 428 CJ and a new version of the 385 series big-block 429. The “Boss 429” package included Ram-Air induction and a 375-hp rating.

“Call it the road animal,” said Cougar literature. A rear deck lid spoiler, body graphics and a restyled scooped hood returned as part of the Eliminator’s image. One enthusiast magazine tested an Eliminator with the 290-hp “Boss 302” V8. It carried 12.4 lbs. per hp and did 0 to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds. The quarter mile took 15.8 seconds.