One of the many things I love about Chicago is that admission to the Lincoln Park Zoo costs absolutely nothing. Of course, donations are welcome, but it is one of only a handful of free zoos in the entire United States. In fact, I went there just the weekend before last. There are so many creatures to see and observe, all beautiful and unique in their own ways. After making a beeline for the penguins (my favorites), I usually walk the short distance to the Kovler Lion House to see the big cats. Though the Lincoln Park Zoo doesn’t have any cougars, I’ve always been fascinated by large felines. Their combination of power, balance, ferocity, elegance, and grace has always intrigued me. In my mind, the very first Mercury Cougar embodies all of these qualities, in one way or another.
In terms of styling, the first Cougar was peak Cougar. That’s not to say this nameplate was a one-hit wonder, and there were certainly other attractive Cougars that followed, but to my eyes, its first two model years were the high-water mark. It’s just such a graceful, well-balanced design – especially in profile. The horizontal character line along the lower body accentuates this car’s 190.3″ overall length to great effect. Combined with the arches over the wheel wells, the “shoulders” on the rear quarter panels, and the pleasingly chunky C-pillars, it is still a very clean, handsome-looking car. From the front, its face with its vertical “whiskers” and hidden headlamps are the very picture of a predatory snarl. Its tail, with its vertically-ribbed, sequential taillights, mirror and perfectly complement the look of the front, in a stroke of artistic brilliance.
This cat also had power to spare. The GT package included a four-barrel, 390 V8 with 320 hp (gross). Weighing about 3,400 pounds, it had reasonably quick acceleration, especially with the optional four-speed manual. Cougar GTs accounted for about 7,400 out of about 151,000 total Cougars that year, which was roughly 5%. (By contrast, 27,000 XR-7s were sold.) The standard Cougar, weighing about four-hundred pounds less than the GT, was no slouch, either, for the times, with its 200-horse, two-barrel 289 V8. The idea of an upscale ponycar probably appealed to many who considered a Mustang or Camaro a bit too “youthful” for their tastes. Being in my forties, a new car like the original Cougar would appeal to me now.
I had spotted our featured car this past May on the Saturday morning of the three-day, Memorial Day weekend. I was headed out of town and running an errand to buy a gift for friends, when I saw this candy blue, ’67 Cougar GT being gassed up. My rental car already had a full tank, but with my Canon in the footwell of the back seat, I wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to photograph one of my favorite cars of the late ’60s from one of its best model years. Its owner was a nice gentleman who allowed me more than a few pictures, but he seemed a little like he was in a hurry, so I didn’t press him for even a brief interview of any kind. Suffice it to say, just getting these few snaps of this beautiful cat was a real treat… and just enough to tide me over until my next jaunt to the zoo.
Wrigleyville, Chicago, Illinois.
Saturday, May 27, 2017.
Related reading:
- From Paul N. :Curbside Classic: 1968 Mercury Cougar – Mercury’s Greatest (Only?) Hit; and
- From Tom K.: Curbside Classic: 1969 Mercury Cougar – Premium Ponycar.
I agree. The first gen Cougar was the high water mark for the car and is a treat to catch a nice one like this.
I agree also when the author, Joseph Dennis, says: “Their combination of power, balance, ferocity, elegance, and grace has always intrigued me. In my mind, the very first Mercury Cougar embodies all of these qualities, in one way or another.”
It’s too bad FoMoCo didn’t know what to do with the Cougar after that.
Beautiful car…the light reveals its subtle musculature. Subtle, not dull
The Cougar was a Mustang underneath, yet its look and spirit were unique. If an automaker could differentiate its platforms so well back then, they should be able to do a better job of it now.
Where are you getting your info re mid 5 sec 0-60 times? Not even Ford’s 1968 Mustang 428 CJ test mule could do that, and it was likely perfectly prepped, certainly lighter. These 390 Cougars might do it in 8 on a good day if the driver really knows how to row that toploader. And, like the FE Mustangs, was terribly front heavy, which didn’t help launches or handling. I know there is site (which I intend to find a link for)with an old mag test that compared the ’68 Cougar GTE (427 hydraulic cam, 390HP) to the Cyclone GT with the same engine. The Cyclone was faster in the 1/4 because, despite it extra size and weight, launched better because it’s mass was better distributed. FWIW, the 427 didn’t make production in the Cyclone, or anything else that year except for the Cougar.
It should be noted that the weight difference you quote between base and GT is strictly attributable to the difference between FE and Windsor engine weights,and is more like 200-220 pounds, not 400.
Also, the GT was an a separate package available on either base or XR7 models.
Despite their foibles (also on Mustangs) I’d almost be happier with a 289 since it make a more balanced overall car due to the lighter front. I lean towards collector cars in stock condition, but I might be tempted to put a 347 stoker in one, keeping all the stock 289 tinware.
http://www.automobile-catalog.com/make/mercury/cougar_1gen/cougar_1gen_hardtop/1967.html
http://www.automobile-catalog.com/make/mercury/cougar_1gen/cougar_1gen_hardtop_gt/1967.html
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1967-1973-mercury-cougar3.htm
You know, Paul could always use more contributors. 🙂
I put more credence in period magazine tests myself, and even then shave off about 5-7 percent for what an actual retail car might do.
WRT to contributing:
A) I wish I had the time
B) Subject matter is a bit thin on the ground in my
neck of the woods unless a Hyundai Pony pickup
floats your boat (actually I missed my chance on
that one, haven’t seen it for a few years).
There’s an original “box” Grandeur I see
sometimes at my University, maybe I’ll shoot it
if I see it again!
Roger is on the mark about the 0-60 times being off. Auto-Catalog is an okay source for information, but keep in mind all of its acceleration times are “simulations” and can be far from the reality. I agree that with Roger, than magazine tests are probably the most accurate source we can find today for how these cars performed. And that these numbers may also be somewhat inflated.
Here are a bunch of acceleration times that I have from original magazine tests:
289 Cougar
Car and Driver – 1967 auto, 3.00 gears – 0-60 10.1 secs, ¼ mile 17.5 secs @ 79 mph
Car Life – 1967 auto, 2.80 gears – 0-60 10.7 secs, ¼ mile 18.0 secs @ 77.8 mph
302 Cougar
Car Life – 1968 auto 3.00 gears, 0-60 10.0 secs, ¼ mile 17.41 secs @ 79.9 mph
390 Cougar
Motor Trend – 1967 auto, 3.00 gears, 0-60 8.1 secs, ¼ mile 16.0 secs @ 89 mph
Car Life – 1967 auto, 3.25 gears – 0-60 7.7 secs, ¼ mile 15.9 secs @ 89 mph
Car and Driver – 1967 auto, 3.00 gears – 0-60 6.5 secs, ¼ mile 14.9 secs @ 94 mph
427 Cougar
Car Life – 1968 auto, 3.50:1 gears, 0-60 in 7.1 secs, 1/4mile 15.12 secs @ 93.6 mph
428 CJ Cougar
Motorcade – 1969 auto, 3.50 gears, 0-60 5.9 secs, ¼ mile 14.1 secs @ 102.2 mph
Supercars – 1969 auto, 4.30 gears, 0-60 in 5.9 secs, ¼ mile 13.9 secs @ 101.2 mph
Most of these times seem to be pretty on par, with the exception on the Car and Driver 390 Cougar results. It seems to have performed more like a non-CJ 428 than a 390. Based on other acceleration results form 390 Mustangs, I’d say that C/D time is bunk. Either a ringer car from Ford, or Car and Driver fudging the results (C/D editors have admitted during this era to fudging the numbers, or obtaining them through inaccurate means).
And Joe, please don’t take this reply as being critical of your post in anyway. It’s a fantastic read, and an awesome fine. As always I thoroughly enjoy your write ups and photography on these classics in the wild.
And Roger, I agree with Joe. You’d make a great contributor. You always have excellent well informed comments.
Helpful stuff. Thanks, guys.
Thanks for these, Vince. I’ve edited out the current numbers. Yes, automobilecatalogue is useful for lots of basic stats, but their 0-60 simulations are not trust-worthy.
I’ve found automobile-catalog seems to be most useful for hard stats like dimensions, and weights seem to jive with credible resources as well.
What exactly is “simulated 0-60” anyway? Did they drive a 67 Cougar in Gran Turismo? Lol
http://wildaboutcarsonline.com/members/AardvarkPublisherAttachments/9990409026602/1968-07_CL_428_Street_Cyclone_1-6.pdf
Oops, my apologies. The Cyclone had a 428 CJ.
My “seat of the pants” observations of the 289 and 390 engine Cougars told me that in the “Real World” the 390 was not all THAT much faster.
The 390 did make this car understeer MUCH more than the 289 did; even in normal freeway off ramp. I drove two 390 Cougars, both overheated in city traffic with the A/C on. No overheating for a factory A/C 289 Cougar.
I suspect with a rear axle (final drive ratio) change and the addition of a 4 barrel carb & manifold to the 289, the acceleration difference could be minimized?
P. S. Ever try changing spark plugs with that wide, heavy FE 390 engine in a Cougar/Mustang? 🙁
A friend of my dad had a ’69 390 non-AC back in the day, with practice & a couple of u joint extensions he got it down to 3 hours.
So that’s about 22 minutes PER PLUG? And all the cursing and scratched hands you can stand? No freakin’ way! A 4 barrel 351 W would be almost as quick as the 390 and a lot easier to work on with better handling 🙂
Agree, MarcKyle, but the 351 was not around in 1967.
The only engine choices were the “thin wall” 289 or the ancient, wide, heavy FE 390 engine.
Count me as another who loves the ’67 Cougar, particularly in XR7 form. It was a bumpy ride downhill for the styling from here.
Very fine Cougar, if I do say so myself. I certainly agree with you Joe that the original ’67s and ’68s are the Cougar in its prime. Perfect body, curves in all the right places, a muscular stance while still looking svelte, and a very stunning face. The idea of an upscale pony car very much appeals to me too, and I’m in my mid-20s!
The only thing I’d change about this car are the aftermarket wheels, which make it look too much like a toy car.
Brendan, I agree about the wheels. I’d definitely go with a stock look, but these wheels don’t really bother me. I kind of like them on this particular example.
I’m not sure if it’s apparent from the pictures, but this car had roll bars and everything, so the wheels might have been part of the racing setup. It wouldn’t surprise me to find out the driver was headed to the drag strip or track that day.
I’m also all about a stock look, but as memories of seeing these on the road fade into a 50 year oblivion, and with my brain filled with modern vehicle proportions, the wheels on this car look very natural. Sort of a modernized Cragar SS wheel. Cragars, of course, were very period correct aftermarket customizations, and this update with a lower profile tire looks very good.
I think in this case they work for just that reason.
My first thought was that it just needs a set of redlines for the classic Hot Wheels look.
Henry Ford II had always envisioned the Mustang as a mini-Thunderbird, and he finally got one in the 1967 Cougar. There were issues with his upscale ponycar, though. Nothing serious that would render the car undrivable, but those fancy hidden headlights were vacuum controlled and, as the car aged, it was not uncommon to see one of the spring-loaded headlight doors open when parked. Once the car’s engine was started, the door would close. Likewise, one of the multiple relays for the nifty sequential turn signals would occasionally give out.
The Cougar continued to waft towards complete broughamdom, first with the bigger 1971-73 models, and finally coming full circle with the 1974, intermediate-based version at the same time the Mustang downsized to the Pinto platform.
The headlight doors would close unexpectedly on the 1967 models because engine vacuum held the doors open. If the vacuum leaked, the doors would close. Ford fixed the problem for 1968 by using vacuum to hold the doors closed.
Interesting tidbit. At first glance, reversing the headlight door mechanism doesn’t make much sense. But, upon further thought, if the engine stopped running while driving at night (which could actually mean the loss of engine vacuum), losing the headlights in such a situation could be quite unsafe.
Plus, IIRC, I think the 1968 arrangement had been the default set-up from other manufacturers when they used engine vacuum to control hidden headlight doors.
One of my favourite American cars of the 1960s. Probably ever. ‘Nuff said.
Though everybody seemed to know it was a Mustang and therefore a Falcon under the skin, what a difference Mercury made in this car’s character, far more than the Camaro/Firebird dichotomy. Admittedly, FoMoCo had more time to work on it.
While the exterior differences between the Camaro and Firebird weren’t as striking (it looks like they may even have used the same front fenders), there was a marked difference under the hood where they had division-specific engines.
The Cougar, while sheetmetal was all completely its own, had nearly the same exact engine line-up as the Mustang (no six cylinder Cougars).
Back in the mid ’70s, a friend of a friend had one of these that I did a bit of work on. Metallic red, and I think only a 289. But that was plenty for me, compared to the low-compression four-cylinder Mercedes 180 I had at the time.
As I recall, that car had what sounded like a motor-driven switching unit in the trunk for the sequential signals.
Like the original Buick Riviera, these appeal to me for their performance, complemented with a touch of luxury, plus as an alternative to the glut of vintage Mustangs I see everywhere!
Happy Motoring, Mark
Joe, you have hit a real sweet spot with me on this. One of my best friends in high school had a 68 Cougar in this exact color. His was a 289/automatic with an odd aftermarket 3/4 white vinyl roof that began at the back and stopped with a chrome molding right over the driver’s head. Odd.
The car was 10 years old when we graduated and showed Ford at both its best and worst in the north. Cougars were awful, awful rusters, especially in the rear wheel arches where, oddly, Mustangs were not nearly so often compromised. My friend had lots of experience with Bondo and got lucky when someone rear-ended him and he got the whole rear end done on the other guy’s insurance company. And it was the worst driving thing on slick streets ever, with a heavy front and light tail. I cannot imagine how much worse it would have been with the big heavy FE engine.
The door locks and latches froze regularly and more than once he had to tie the door shut to get to school because the frozen latch would not catch. The car also suffered from carb issues (which our amateur rebuild did not help.) His sequential turn signals were also problematic. He and I wrenched on that car a lot and learned a lot while doing it.
But I always loved it. It was fun to drive, had a gorgeous exhaust note through the Thrush muffler and was a car that I could just stare at and bask in its almost perfect styling. This car was almost a perfect mid-point between the T-Bird and the Mustang, and hit a sweet spot that Mercury would never hit again with the car.
One of my best friends in HS also had a ’68 Cougar, XR7 390 auto, no AC example in this same blue color. Painted roof. He got it around ’74 from his cousin, had a large dent on the drivers fender and bent front bumper, but still ran well. This was in SoCal so no rust issues. Or freezing weather to deal with. Never drove it, but rode in it quite a few times, it still had really strong acceleration, never timed it but it left a lot of cars in the dust. Seemed to hold the road OK and could corner as well as most cars of the day.
He blew the motor going way over 100 MPH on the freeway, holes in the block from the rods, replaced it with a junkyard 390 that was gutless in comparison, no idea what it came out of. Glad I never had to help him change spark plugs, I doubt he ever had it tuned up, he only had it for about a year. Told him if he ever wanted to sell let me know, he came by soon after with a brand new ’74 Pinto stripper, his dad bought it for him as a HS present, and of course his dad traded it in on the Pinto, I’ll bet he got peanuts for it.
He passed in 2013 at only 57. Rest in peace, FV.
A favorite of mine then and now. One friend’s dad had a base ’67 with a 289-4v, another dad had a ’68 XR7 w/ the 302-4v. Loved them both.
Everytime I finally get myself to the sensible level of “I don’t want or need a classic car…too much work/expense, etc.”….someone has to go and show me a first-generation Cougar.
Man, they’re beautiful.
I can’t get over how poxy those wheels are…..white walls and caps
I love these early Cougars for many of the reasons you point out. The story of the dealer introduction, however, is one of the most memorable things to me about the car.
Ford liked to reward dealers who could hit and maintain sales quotas with trips in those days. In September 1966, they leased the J.S. independence to sail from New York to the Caribbean to launch several 1967 Mercury products. On the fourth day of the trip, in St. Thomas, the dealer body was directed to the beach that evening, all lit with torches. A World War Two landing craft pulls up to the shore, lowers its ramp, and out drives a white 1967 Cougar up into the sand. Apparently the crowd watching this went nuts. As if that wasn’t dramatic enough, the man driving the car was none other than singer Vic Damone, who proceeded to exit the car and then entertain the crowd. Even Lee Iacocca says this particular reveal was quite the spectacle!
My favorite generation of Cougar as well, although I prefer the concave taillights of the ’69 (like the one pictured below) better than the ’67/’68, although this ’67 has the best grill of the bunch. The ’70’s grill looked bulky as though to preview what was gonna happen in ’71. I did not realize at the time that these were the same platform as the Mustang, because they looked so much more upscale… almost a preview of 10 years hence when they would become platform mates with the T-Bird.
My best-friend-in-high-school’s cousin had one (a ’69 IIRC) painted a deep emerald green. Slightly raked (as was the style in the late 70’s), and with aftermarket Cragar S/S wheels similar in appearance to the wheels on today’s subject car, this car was beautiful. I would’ve loved to have had that one, especially in that color. A sweet looking ride, indeed.
Great pics as always, Joseph.
The 1969 with its concave taillights shown for reference….
The ’69 is nicer than a ’70 for sure. The ’70 looks like it has a zit on it’s nose.
Funny, this is the first discussion I’ve read where someone disliked the 1970 Cougar nose. It was changed back to more resemble the ’67-’68 nose because Cougar fans didn’t like the seemingly one-piece grille look of the ’69. I have a ’68 XR-7 but if forced to choose one of the newer ones, I’d go for the 1970. One picture of my ’68. I’m of the mini-Thunderbird faction, not the ‘let’s go to the drags’ Cougar faction.
I can tell you one thing I dislike about the nose of the 70. Unlike the 67-68 where the nose stays with the grille and not the hood where on the 70 it is part of the hood. Do you know what it is like to go from looking into a 68 engine compartment and then looking into a 70 engine compartment the first time? You better have a hard hat as the top of my head learned.
Count me among those that prefer the 1970 nose, as well.
I’m also a fan of the ’70, with its prominent nose. It’s what immediately followed where the aesthetics started to become questionable.
I’m going to catch hell for this, but not only do I prefer the 69 out of those two years, but actually might prefer the 71 nose to the 70!
The Eliminator is the only 70 I can stomach, the grill looks better blacked out – there are too many fins compared to the tidy 67-68 – and the divider is completely camouflaged by the hood stripe.
71 while quite the departure was a much cleaner design, and the only real problem I personally find with it was that in a few years every single Ford/Mercury/Lincoln product had a variation of that basic front end design.
Although it’s the same size as the Mustang, the styling of the ’71-’73 Cougar has a heavy, ponderous look. Of all the early seventies ponycars, the Cougar looks the least sporty. It fits into the same category as other specialty cars like the Dodge Charger and Chevy Monte Carlo with trying to straddle the high-performance/personal luxury market.
With that said, it still looks better than the Mustang Grande coupe. The rounded, much more bulbous appearance wears those flying buttress C-pillars much better. In fact, I dare say that those Cougars would be great cars to acquire for weekend car shows, particularly the convertibles. Nice survivors haven’t yet reached the stratosphere for pricing, including the rarest versions with the most powerful engines.
Oh I agree, but I feel the 70 isn’t much better in that respect, it’s styling is very heavy compared to other ponycars, as well as the 67-68s, it’s just harder to associate with truly heavy ponderous cars because the nose doesn’t remind you of a 73 Galaxie the way the 71 does(I don’t hate heavy styling though, there are good and bad examples, I think the 71 Mustang is worse).
The Cougar’s march towards midsize personal Luxury was more natural than it gets credit for, that luxury emphasis wasn’t easily shaken from these for performance packages the way a Charger(another proto-PLC) could, just the opposite. If judged against the hit Monte Carlo and Grand Prix the 71 Cougar’s only lacking trait is size, the styling fit in well with the direction mainstream luxury was headed.
To that end, unlike Chrysler and AMC, Ford was really masterful in where they took both the Cougar and Mustang once it became obvious performance was on the wane. Sure, GM still managed to find buyers for the f-body which clung to the old-school musclecar ethos, but Ford found a lot more customers, both with the PLC Cougar and Pinto-Stang. Mid-seventies Ford ponycars get lots of disdain from fans but they were the right cars for the times.
But, then, Ford started bouncing around the Cougar name all over the place (even on sedans and wagons), only really getting back on track with the ’83 version based off the Aero-Bird. Even the last Cougars didn’t seem to have a cohesive focus. I don’t recall if there’s been a CC on the final Cougars and, if not, maybe someday.
For me, the ’69-’70 Cougar was ruined by the Buick-like side sweepspear. Totally unnecessary. Also, I prefer the 1970 nose – the 1969 grille was too flat.
I remember reading someplace that the side sculpture was a last minute change, there were pictures of two clay models, one flat sided, one swept. The slab sided clay looked much better
I kinda like that side-sweep-spear myself, but then again, I’ve always liked the looks of a Buick Skylark of that era, although in the case of the Skylark, the ’72 is my fave, and it doesn’t have one.
And yes, of the Cougar, the flat looking ’69 grill is not as attractive as the ’70, (IMO) but from the front, the 67/68 looks better.
I still like the concave 69/70 taillights though. Similarly, I prefer the 67/68 Mustang taillights better than the 65/66 for the same reason. That concave look really sets ’em off.
As a Buick fan too, I also like the side sweep on the Cougar.
Always made me think of Buick, too.
Motor Trend’s Car of the Year for 1967.
Cougars? Did someone say Cougars? Have I got Cougars. I believe about 85 of them that day.
The other side of the large lot.
Down the middle.
Ah, delete button never showed up???
My father purchased this Cougar on April 25, 1968, it became mine on Dec. 18, 1969 and has never left my sight since. This shot from 1973.
Still looks the same today. Has never given a day of trouble.
Very Nice! That looks like California? You have been fortunate to keep the car out of salty climates over the years. I would take a 67 or 68 Cougar in a heartbeat if the right one came along.
First shot on Mt. Soledad overlooking La Jolla Shores where the row of palm trees can be seen. Second shot on Mt. Diablo in Contra Costa County of Northern California.
Mt. Diablo is a State Park while Mt. Soledad was not. Soledad is barely recognizable today, although the parking lot is still there, and all that bare land to the right of the Cougar is gone. Being La Jolla there would be million dollar+ homes all over that.
Nice Cougar tbm3fan! – Looks like another Cougar of the same generation is photobombing that shot on the road coming off Mount Diablo.
I visited that mountain back in 1974 (at 14) on a trip out to California and remember it well. Back then, these Cougars were probably a common sight on the parking lot at the top. We were in a rented 1974 Pontiac Grand Am. Now THERE’S a car with a prominent proboscis. ;o)
I really dislike the wheels on the subject car. It would look so much better with factory wheels or cragars. Even steel wheels painted the same color with dog dish hubcaps would appeal more than the donk styles he has on it
I think the use of modern ‘donk’ wheels on old classic cars might, in some cases, be purely financial and/or ease of location, sort of like replacing a cracked, broken steering wheel with one of those hokey Grant wheels.
I would not in any way consider those as “donk style” wheels. Yes they certainly are larger diameter than the 14″ tires that it came with. However the look to be 17″ or maybe 18″ at the most which nowadays is as small as you can go and have decent selection of higher performance rubber that are of adequate diameter for this type of car. And of course these particular wheels are the modern interpretation of a classic American Racing wheel that was popular in the late 60’s.
Personally I’d go for the modern 17″ version of the Magnum 500.
Donk is getting thrown around a bit to liberally I think, these wheels/tires are no taller as a whole than the factory wheels/tires, only difference is the diameter of the wheel itself and presumably width, which has no negative effect on the chassis and can simply be put back to stock with a matter of twisting 20 lug nuts. Donks exceed the factory tire/wheel diameter, requiring rinky dink suspension lifts and often some very intrusive wheelwell hacking in order to just fit them. In terms of intent the Cougar is solidly in the mild restomod category, as these wheels and tires will enhance the driving charistics as much as the look. Donks are 100% about the statement. The style is totally different, donk wheels look like neck medallons, with overdecorated collideoscope shaped spokes, finished exclusively chrome or gold plating, or maybe gloss black with chrome accents. The wheels featured on this Cougar are simply replicas of Torque Thrust racing wheels of the 60s, in a polished finish.
It’s not a stretch of the imagination to say that, had modern tire technology existed back in the day, that companies like American Racing, Cragar, Halibrand, et al. would have catered to the market with larger diameter versions of their existing wheel designs like this. Aesthetics wasn’t the point, all the classic(as we know them) wheel designs of the 60s were born from racing to be lighter, stronger, wider than what automakers provided off the showroom floor and fit better tires. Which is exactly why this Cougar is wearing them today.
Between the line-up of plastic 1969 Mercurys given away in a cereal box that year, and the Matchbox Cougar in lime green metallic (with the headlights permanently open), the Cougar made quite an impression on me and my young friends in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The gym teacher at the local senior high school lived in our neighborhood, and she drove a dark green 1968 Cougar for many years. She kept it in very good condition.
Roger628 is correct. The idea that the 390 Cougars could get anywhere near mid 5 seconds 0-60 is absurd. Even the Group Two racing Cougars with a 340 horse 289 and 4.44 rear axle were 7 second cars to 60, 15.1 in the quarter. Automobile Catalog is not a definitive or very credible 0-60 source.
http://www.hotrod.com/articles/1967-mercury-cougar-muscle-car-rewind/
This is one of my top 2-3 domestic cars from the 1960s, and in that color, it’s about perfect! I’d prefer the factory road wheels, though.
A friend of mine has a 1968 convertible, with a 390 (I think). It’s in rougher shape than the pictured car, and in a not terribly attractive period-correct light green, but the V8 burble is sublime. The car has been relatively trouble-free and is easy to work on, making it an ideal weekend cruiser.
Are you sure about the convertible part? Ford didn’t make a Cougar convertible until the 1969 model. Which was, to me, one of the great tragedies of the 60s automotive scene. A 67-68 Cougar ragtop would have been stunning.
Agreed that it was a shame there was no 1967 – ’68 Cougar convertible.
Here’s custom job I saw in Flint about six years back:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/car-show-outtake-1967-mercury-cougar-convertible-cheshire-cat/
This 1967 Cougar is, by far, THE definition of a Mercury Cougar, and as far as I am concerned, the ONLY one that matters. Period.
Nice find!
Put me in the small block camp as well. A 351 similar to the 93-95 Lighting would be perfect.
I’ll take it! Here is my money. Where do I sign?
But seriously I’ve always liked the early Cougars, so now I’m off to Craigslist, not that I don’t search Cougar there enough w/o this reminder that they are far and away my preferred “pony” car.
I’d be a little careful searching “Cougar” on “Craigslist” if I were you… especially at work. (LOL)
Ha, Ha, Of course I’m searching in the cars + trucks section. I certainly need to be careful when I’ve got my coach hat and everything I’m looking at on the computer is seen on the 70″ Smart Board. Now my “day job” boss is me, so no worries there.
I prefer the 69 myself, not just on the outside but inside was hands down more attractive to me. 67-68s show their Mustang roots hard, basically a straight up Mustang dash without the double hump pad. Outside I just simply find better proportioned, the hood looks longer on the 67-68s to me and not in a flattering way. The only thing lacking in the 69 is the grille bars should have been vertical to match the tails.
I have to agree with everyone else about the wheels, the size doesn’t bother me but that design is just so overused. There were a dozen more wheels in the 60s-70s that are equal or more deserving of being upsized for modern low profile tires than stupid torque thrusts, some even exist but are criminally underembraced.
Agree with you Matt; the 1969 is peak cat to me also. Make it a Bright Blue 302 Eliminator and I’d be in heaven. Wrarr!
That’d be my pick as well!
Like this taste?
I’ll take that exact combo too.
The 1967-68 Cougar has always been one of my top favorite cars. It’s only drawback, in my opinion, is it’s somewhat austere dashboard – maybe it was Ford’s way of making it appear European. Too bad that the ideas that made Cougar unique were repeated on the ’69 Mustang Grande – it made the Cougar less relevant. Also .. what were they thinking when the 1971 was being designed?!
The revised dash is a big reason I prefer the 69s to these, but I also agree the Mustang Grande eroded the Cougar’s unique position in the ponycar segment. An unfortunate reoccurring theme with Ford and Mercury.
what were they thinking when the 1971 was being designed?!
Something along the lines of “How do we blend a Lincoln Mark III with a C3 Corvette?”
If I’m not mistaken, the dash of the European Capri bore a solid resemblance to those first Cougar instrument panels.
About the only thing the European Capri instrument panel and the early XR-7 panel share is the fake wood applique. The Capri gauges are grouped in a more boxy pattern, and the early XR-7 dash has the gauges in a more linear setup.
Coolest thing about going to see the new models at the Texas State Fair was the sctual live cougar in front of the car! They had a guy holding it on a leash. Laying full length on a 8ft table twitching its tail. Probably drugged up a bit …..
In 1968 my father took me along to Kroehle Lincoln Mercury in Youngstown, Ohio, to buy a new car. He didn’t have much choice, as there was no babysitter for me back then. I don’t know how, but I saw a Mercury Cougar and fell in love with it. I was very annoyed that my father bought a 1968 Mercury Montego instead. To make it up to me, he bought me many tiny versions of the Cougar, a plastic 1/18th scale version (I have a copy of one, not my original one) and many of the Hot Wheels versions from the same time period (redline tires and all).
I still remained miffed, but oddly, as an adult, I have never pursued getting my own 1968 Cougar. I think I have too much emotionally involved that if I were to get one, I would be disappointed.
But, it still is one of my favorites of all time.
My brother had a ’67 Cougar same color as above sans the mag wheels and hood scoop. Once he got married, the Cougar was ditched for a ’70 Kermit Green Ford Galaxie.
To this day, I think he regrets the loss of the Cougar;-}
The ’67-’68 Cougars were the best, their styling far more sophisticated than the target market understood or appreciated. It should have been applied to a Mercury version of the Thunderbird to compete with Grand Prix. Subsequent restyles lost all of the original verve but then they were a FoMoCo product…which was typical.
I still like the 1969-70 versions, even if they aren’t quite as clean as the original. They were a good evolution of the first car. Ford didn’t really lose the plot with the Cougar until the 1971 restyle, in my opinion.
Regarding the bigger 71’s, they were from Bunkie Knudsen, who moved to Ford from GM, and wanted Stang/Cougar to compete with GM mid size cars.
With the 390 motor, this was back in the day of ‘no replacement for displacement’. So, Ford dealers were pushing bigger inches, even if not better performance than a small block.
Cougar revitalized Mercury brand and was its halo car for years. Even in the 74-76 PLC era. But, putting the badge on sedans and wagons, however, diluted it. Imagine a stripped 1977 T-Bird sedan for fleets, instead of LTD II?
83 Areo coupe helped, but then big coupes declined eventually.
They were obviously trying to position the Cougar in Mercury the way Oldsmobile positioned the Cutlass, which given the success of that model is understandable. The XR7 was positioned as the equivelant to the Supreme, and below them were the pedestrian models occupying the whole midsize category. The trouble for Mercury was the Cutlass was always a multiple bodystyle line, while the Cougar was always (basically) in the Cutlass Supreme category, so while Olds expanded up for their fancy model, Mercury had to expand down and make what used to be a trimline the fancy “model”.
Keep in mind though the 77-79 XR7s were the best selling Cougars ever made, with or without the standard Cougar models, which were dismal. I’m not sure how diluted the name could have been from such a trickle of lesser models. The internet has probably made the sedan and wagon’s obscure existence more well known than they ever were when the debasement of the name would have mattered.
1977: 194,823 (XR-7 124,799)
1978: 213,270 (XR-7 166,508)
1979: 172,152 (XR-7 163,716)
The ’71 was fat and clunky. Never liked it. Tragic, after this handsome original.
(Tho my sister’s best friend, a highly privileged girl, was given a white on white ’72 XR7 in high school. Cynthia was very hot stuff, as was her car.)
That little concave surface on the upper rear fender: it was Bangle before Bangle!