SubscribeMost Wanted Classic Cars: Mercury Cougar (Part 1)
Posted by Steve White on Mar 10, 2010The Mercury Cougar was first introduced in the year 1967 as a longer and more luxurious version of the first generation Ford Mustang. Its wheelbase was 3 inches longer than the Mustang, and it featured a more mature design as well as a more lavish interior. Although Mercury had emphasized on luxury when it was building the Cougar, the car proved to be a formidable performer as well.
The standard 1967 Cougar was fitted with a 289 cid V8 engine, which was available in 3 different versions, and buyers could also opt for the 390 cid Marauder. The Marauder engine was offered through a performance package called the GT, and its standard version was rated at 335 hp. Overall, the Mercury Cougar was a tremendous success in its first year, as it sold more than 150,000 units and was voted the “Car of the Year” by Motor Trend.
In 1968, Mercury made a serious attempt to turn the Cougar into a true performance car, and it offered an impressive line-up of engine options, which included a new 302 cid V8 and the 427 and 428 cid Cobra Jet V8. Two new models were also released, and they were the GT-E and the XR-7G. The initial “G” in the XR-7G represented racing legend Dan Gurney, who was a member of the Mercury racing team at that time. After Gurney left Mercury the following year, the model was discontinued. Since a very limited number of XR-7Gs were produced, the car is considered a highly-prized classic car today.
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