1969 Mercury Cougar

1969 Mercury Cougar

The Cougar debuted for 1967 as a two-door hardtop, with an aerodynamic roofline and hide-away headlights. It was based on the Mustang, but with a stretched wheelbase and some suspension modifications for a more comfortable ride. To this end Cougars could be had with better appointments than their Ford-badged cousins, with simulated leather bucket seats, a wood-rimmed steering wheel, and a simulated walnut dashboard all offered. Yet the Cougar still had the traditional pony car look, with a long hood and short rear deck. Like with the Mustang, it was possible to find a trim level and drivetrain combination to suit any budget. The base model came equipped with the venerable Ford 289, making 200 hp with a two-barrel carburetor. A three-speed manual was standard, though a four-speed manual and a three-speed automatic were available. An optional four-barrel setup bumped output to 225 hp, and the GT option got you a 390-ci V8 with a heavy-duty suspension. Halfway through the model year the XR-7 package was introduced, with a deluxe gauge set and a whole host of other interior upgrades. For 1968, a rare XR-7 option package was available, the XR-7G.

The 428 CJ formed the basis for the fiercest production Cougar, 1969鈥檚 Eliminator. The ongoing Detroit horsepower wars were nudging the Cougar further from the luxury realm, and this package included a blacked-out grille, side stripes, a spoiler, and a number of garish color options. Underhood, the Eliminator used Ford鈥檚 290-hp 351 Windsor as its standard powerplant, with the 428 optional. The CJ could propel the big Cougar down the quarter-mile in under 15 seconds, despite 1969鈥檚 restyling that saw the car鈥檚 proportions grow. A convertible model was also introduced for 1969, an attempt to broaden the appeal of a no-longer fresh car whose sales were waning. Three more model years saw the Cougar continue to grow in size as its sales shrank. Engine options in 1970 included a list of classic Ford mills: the 351 Cleveland, the Boss 302, and the 428 CJ. Mercury discontinued the Eliminator model for 1971, though a 429-ci CJ rated at 370 hp was offered.

If you鈥檙e shopping for a Dan Gurney XR-7G or a real GT-E, be sure there鈥檚 a paper trail associated with the car before you pay a premium. These models are the truly rare Cougars, with 619 XR-7Gs and 394 GT-Es produced. Know that a Cougar 鈥淒an Gurney Special鈥?is not the same thing as a real XR-7G, just a chrome dress-up package offered in 1967 and 1968. Like most muscle cars, engines determine a large part of a Cougar鈥檚 desirability. With a large national club and an enthusiastic membership, more advice is readily at hand. Base Cougars are not scarce, so there is no reason to buy a car with any rust whatsoever. Cars requiring mechanical work are less of a problem, as standard Ford parts availability is excellent. Due to this support, and their inherent mechanical simplicity, a Cougar can make a great daily driver. The market for Cougars is still growing. While they may never reach the peaks we鈥檝e seen for other muscle cars, prices are following the general trend. 30,000-and-up range, depending on options and condition. 15,000. Convertibles carry the typical premium, but know that many of the more desirable options were not available on the droptop. Regardless of the model, Cougars sell for chicken feed compared to the premium people are paying for the more popular pony cars. This likely won鈥檛 last for long, as we鈥檙e already seeing people step up and pay real money for 鈥渙ff-brand鈥?muscle cars from the likes of AMC, Buick and Oldsmobile. Will Mercury be next?

Finally, Ford鈥檚 designers managed to pull off a really neat visual illusion to preserve the fastback look any Mustang should have in the roofline. Yes, the vehicle is a crossover, but the top portion of the back of the roof is painted dark black. Lower down, they put the shape of the fastback in body color, so that it has room inside, is a crossover, but looks like a fastback. Most importantly, they managed to do this without making it look tacky or strange. The Mach-E鈥檚 interior was another challenge for the team. People expect the interior of a Mustang, but also want the extra room that a crossover EV with four doors is supposed to have, while still fitting like a pony car and being roomy. They somehow managed this. The interior doesn鈥檛 have to plan itself around a transmission tunnel, but Ford designers did put a center console between the front seats. At the same time, though, they made it flexible enough to please the Mustang traditionalists (count me among them) while fitting in the needs of everybody else.

They made it easy, for example, to flip up the center console鈥檚 top and make room for a purse in its place. Also, there are plenty of spots to both keep and charge our modern devices. The rear seat area departs much further away from the cramped tradition of the Mustang. 2 model, people are obviously not going to want a big fake transmission tunnel between two rear seats. The vehicle comes with a very roomy (for a small crossover) rear seat area that can comfortably fit even adult men (at least two of them), and would work great for families with kids (count me among those, too). While it has a large, vertical center screen, Ford is taking a very different approach from Tesla. For one, it鈥檚 not ditching the screen in front of the steering wheel. Also, there鈥檚 an iPod-like dial at the bottom of the screen. There鈥檚 also a frunk, and it鈥檚 not a tiny joke frunk.