Sometimes it’s hard to let go of a classic simply because it’s such a well-maintained example that you know you won’t be able to easily replace. That’s the case for this beautiful 1967 Mercury Cougar XR7. Before going any further, for the sake of full disclosure, the seller is Jesse and I’s father. He’s owned this car for nearly a decade and was personal friends with the previous owner. There are documents going back to the day the car was purchased in Palm Springs, California in 1967 and it’s been hiding in the small town of Sheridan, Wyoming pretty much ever since. This car is really an impressive piece of automotive history, but our father has a 1950 Chevrolet Pickup that needs restoration so he has made the difficult choice of moving this Cougar along to help fund that project. It’s being offered here exclusively as a Barn Finds Auction!
Jesse and I have known this car for a number of years, as the previous owner, Stan, was our school bus driver when we were kids. He was always in attendance at the local car shows in either this car or his DeLorean, which was always a crowd favorite. Since he knew us, he always invited us to climb into one of his cars to check them out. He was a very meticulous individual and kept all of his vehicles well-sorted and clean. This car was particularly special to him, as it was the first car he and his wife purchased after getting married and they went on their honeymoon in it. They moved to Wyoming just a few months after purchasing it, so the Wyoming Title is dated July 14th, 1967. The Factory Warranty Card was issued in Stan’s name in May of 1967. There’s an envelope with receipts for maintenance work, as well as old registration tags, dating back to day one. Unfortunately, Stan passed away a few months ago, so we can’t provide more specifics than that.
The XR7 was the luxury trim option for the Cougar making it a very grown-up pony car. Mercury produced a little over 150k Cougars in ’67, but just 27k of those came as XR7s. Two engines were offered in this trim level, either a 2-barrel 289 cui V8 with 200 hp or the 4-barrel 289 with 230 hp. This car was optioned with the 4-barrel engine, so it has plenty of power to be a comfortable highway cruiser. It was also optioned with power steering, power brakes, and air conditioning!
Inside, you’ll find a clean original interior. It isn’t perfect, with a few stains on the carpet and a few of the dash toggle switches having cracks. The XR7 added simulated wood grain trim, black-face gauges, and an overhead console. Like the majority of XR7s, this one is equipped with the 3-speed automatic with the floor-mounted T-handle shifter.
Moving to the trunk, you’ll find the original spare tire with a custom tool holder installed in it by the previous owner. The original trunk liner is still in place and in good condition. There’s some surface rust showing in a few spots that should be treated, but there aren’t any signs of decay or serious rust.
The underside of the car shows a few dents and some surface rust but is in very solid shape. It also appears that some of the front-end bushings were replaced just prior to our father purchasing the car. The brake hoses and power steering system were also serviced and function as they should.
Other than a few paint chips, this Cougar presents nicely in its Turquoise paint. At some point, the previous owner transported the car back to California to have it professionally repainted by a specialist he knew there. It’s an older respray but has held up very well.
This is without a doubt one of the nicest ’67 Cougars we’ve ever seen and it drives beautifully. It’s going to be hard to see this one move on to a new home, but it’s time for someone else to enjoy it. If that someone is you, be sure to bid. And, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments section below, and will do our best to get you an answer!
- Location: Sheridan, Wyoming
- Mileage: 51,114 Miles
- Engine: 289ci V8
- Transmission: 3-Speed Automatic
- VIN: 7F93A607819
- Title Status: Clean
Bid On This Auction
- Shelby bid $26,500.00 2023-08-10 10:05:16
- Cobra567 bid $26,250.00 2023-08-10 10:03:22
- Shelby bid $26,000.00 2023-08-10 10:01:55
- Cobra567 bid $25,750.00 2023-08-10 10:01:18
- Shelby bid $25,500.00 2023-08-10 09:59:30
- Cobra567 bid $25,250.00 2023-08-10 09:58:51
- Shelby bid $25,000.00 2023-08-09 22:04:39
- Cobra567 bid $24,750.00 2023-08-09 16:19:00
- CK1840 bid $24,500.00 2023-08-06 17:19:21
- Steverave bid $24,000.00 2023-08-05 20:44:47
- CK1840 bid $23,500.00 2023-08-05 14:47:26
- Sonny G bid $23,000.00 2023-08-05 14:19:25
- CK1840 bid $22,000.00 2023-08-05 13:48:38
- Sonny G bid $21,500.00 2023-08-05 08:55:45
- CK1840 bid $20,500.00 2023-08-05 07:34:11
- Merc bid $20,000.00 2023-08-04 18:50:31
- CK1840 bid $17,500.00 2023-08-04 11:22:48
- JSB bid $17,000.00 2023-08-04 10:19:01
- CK1840 bid $16,500.00 2023-08-03 20:42:33
- Steverave bid $16,000.00 2023-08-03 17:44:10
- 2manyvettes bid $15,500.00 2023-08-02 17:22:45
- YES1963 bid $15,000.00 2023-08-02 12:42:59
- Alexander1 bid $10,500.00 2023-08-02 12:12:30
- 2manyvettes bid $8,450.00 2023-08-02 12:01:13
- YES1963 bid $7,500.00 2023-08-02 10:27:38
- jal bid $6,300.00 2023-08-02 10:14:12
- Wareagle01 bid $5,700.00 2023-08-02 09:47:28
- 2manyvettes bid $4,500.00 2023-08-02 09:14:13
- RoadTripRevivals bid $3,000.00 2023-08-02 09:10:54
Funny, I just found an XR7 body shell in a junkyard yesterday. It’s an H code with front drum brakes and not a spot of rust on it. They’re nice cars.
What junk yard?
Grab it brother.
Ok, before anyone else says it, I have very little to no luck with cars. That being said, my brother had a ’67 Cougar, but it wasn’t an XR7, just a plain Cougar.
He had joined the marines and was selling the car. I suggested that I put for sale signs in the windows and drive the car around. We lived in the country, no one was going to see it just sitting in the driveway.
So, he agreed.
I guess I drove the car for a week or two when one evening I took my niece and nephew home in it.
I pulled over to the curb, got the kids out, left the car running cause I was only going to be a second…..
Famous last words.
Yes, you guessed it, it got stolen.
On my watch.
It was found a few days later. They were driving it up a hill when they ran out of gas. They let it roll backwards down the hill where it hit a tree going about 20 mph. The entire trunk, bumper, lights, everything pushed in a good foot and a half.
Needless to say, my brother didn’t exactly talk to me after that so I don’t know if it got fixed or totalled.
This was around 1970/71.
Wow, nice car. Nicely equipped, it will bring some good cash.
I like these better than Mustangs.
Wait! I thought I saw rear marker lights. Just an emblem where they would soon be. Ooops! :)
The emblem that got them sued by Jaguar that Ford ended up owning 30 years later!
My ex-wife drove a 68 XR7, but it had a 390 4bbl auto. Back tires would squeal going in to 2nd gear, with your foot in it.. Badass..
Ha! I did the same thing.
I want to bid, system says my email is spam? I get daily emails from Barn Finds at this address. I can’t email you from your contact page because it insists that my email is spam, please advise!
That’s odd! I’ll email you directly to help you get registered and then check to see why your email would be marked as spam.
I’m sorry for your loss, Josh.
Thanks Boatman. Stan was a great person and I’m glad I had the opportunity to know him.
Nice 👍.
I forgot to mention in the write-up that the original Wyoming title is with the car. It’s been stamped as void by the State and is for historical purposes only, but is amazing to have! The new title is in my father’s name and is ready to be signed over to it’s next owner.
Just curious, how can a car that was first sold in CA to a buyer in NC have an original WY title?
Sorry for the confusion, I meant the old Wyoming title from the original owner. They purchased the car new in California and then moved to Wyoming just a few months later.
Fantastic car in great colors. Has the upholstery been replaced? XR-7s had leather seating surfaces, and even with only 51K miles, there should be some wear visible, and those seats look like they’ve never seen a backside.
Stan never said anything about replacing the upholstery, so as far as we are aware it’s original.
I don’t think all XR-7s had leather seats.
All xr7s did in until at least 1970
The leather seating areas for the seats was standard on all XR-7s however a buyer could downgrade to comfortweave vinyl and in some years cloth seat covers.
I think that you will find that the seats have been recovered. Even with very good care and low mileage the leather sections almost always show some wear. There does not appear to be any wear on these seats. In addition the areas of the covers that would be right behind your knees and where your shoulders would touch appear to be too smooth. The original material should have a grainy look to it.
I’ve always had a soft spot for Cougars, probably because a good longtime friend loves them and I grew up around them, but, I would much rather own one of these than the ubiquitous Mustang. So much more refined and a downright classy looking auto. This 67 looks to be in pretty good shape and the color combo is striking. If I owned it, I may consider a swap to Cougar type rallyes or Magnum 500s, but I’d be pretty tempted to keep the whitewalls, as they fit the XR7 aesthetic perfect. Nice car. GLWTA.
Sweet car.
In Image #81 it appears that the car is running by the key position and temperature about 1/4″ from “C”, yet there is only about 15 psi of oil pressure. The spec is 35-55 psi. Is the gauge or sender known to be bad?
I’ll have my dad check to if the gauge is sticking and to see what the pressure range is when it’s running.
Factory gauges were electric, the only sure way to monitor oil pressure is with a manual gauge. And in reality, 15psi is ample
Wow Robin egg blue Cougar my first one I seen like this. This would fit in at southern Florida. I could never understand why Cougars always sat low in the rear and front up. That interior is beautiful color with the wood tone dash. I hope the seller gets his price for this ride. Good luck.. 🇺🇸🐻🇺🇸
I had heard some cars had this rake to remind people of high end boats. Kinda like the T-Birds had that look. Next step up from a Cougar was the T-Bird?
Great looking car a real head turner
Love the originality!
Love that nose up stance Bear.
Nice cruiser here Merc-O-Matic autoloader w 3.00 gear ⚙️. And the super version of the 289ci.
Stan… I get that. I know growing up some cars had that look for traction. But for me the back little high front down a bit. Whatever makes your boat float! ☺️
“Honey….can you tell me how’s the oil pressure?”
That’s for the passenger to monitor while rally racing
Dang, I have a 31 Vicky in a Gateway store in Scottsdale right now. If that car had sold I would be a buyer on this cougar
Does the AC blow cold ( ironically I live in Palm Springs) 😀
It’s been raining heavily where the car is, and my dad doesn’t want to pull it out into the pool of water in front of the garage, so he hasn’t been able to check if the AC blows cold or not. Hopefully, things will have dried out today and he will be able to this evening after work.
Absolutely beautiful car. Love the styling. Blue exterior and interior look awesome. Equipment is great for that vintage..4 bbl V8 floor mounted automatic, bucket seats, power steering, power brakes and air conditioning. Complete provenance of the car’s history. I remember seeing an XR7 that belonged to my junior high guidance counselor who had a great side hustle as manager of a big summer resort hotel on Lake Erie. My 13 year old self said someday I will own a car like that. By the time I finished my first degree, the Cougar was a twin to the Torino not the Mustang and the extra size made it lose its sporty image and pony car maneuverability but not luxury. Life lesson: never hesitate to seize an opportunity (which I couldnt do at my age) so if any buyer out there likes this classic grab it now and fix it up later as a hobby project.
Josh,
Any 1967 Cougar, standard or XR-7, could be ordered with any one of three engines. The two 289s that you have listed and the S code 390 4V GT engine.
My dad restored a 67 cougar XR7. His had the tilt up and away steering wheel it’s the first year Mercury’s and fords offered the option. it also had a over head console ,and a vinyl top. I’ve never seen another one like it.
The tilt away steering column was available prior to the 1967 model year cars. You usually find them in Thunderbirds and Lincolns. The overhead console was a standard part of the 1967 and 1968 XR-7 package. They all have it. A vinyl top is a very common Cougar option.
Beautiful car! In 1967 I was just 12 years old, and already a total Gearhead. My brother had a black over black 1966 Mustang that I totally loved. It had the High performance 289, with a modified for Ford Holly 4 barrel carburetor. It was a 4 speed manual transmission with the shifter on the floor. To me and most everyone I knew loved that Mustang. At that time I used to literally dream I was driving it on road trips to Mammoth Lakes to fish and camp in the summer and ski trips in the winter. True Story! When I finally got my driver’s license, I quickly realized the XR/7 was way out of range for me. However, Mustangs were not. I bought a 1969 Mach l, which went on to be my favorite car and still is. The Mach l was way more than I expected it to be. It was a 351W, with a XMF 3 speed automatic transmission, the FMX was basically Ford’s C6 automatic transmission that was slightly modified to fit in smaller Ford cars. I almost felt guilty for owning such a luxury car. It had power steering, power front disc brakes and factory Air conditioning. Once I had it I never looked back, I owned it for over 30 years. Everytime I started it it was if it was the first time. So I decided the Cougar was for older more sofistcated owners. I never stopped loving the XR7s and still do. Just seeing the pictures of the XR7 brought back such great memories, not just for the Cougar, but for all American cars. At the time, I used to get so excited about the US Big Three manufacturers, I couldn’t wait for every September when the new model years would be introduced. Nothing else was as important than our cars. I sure miss that.
The reserve is off!
im paying THIS premium price for this machine, it had best be rust/rot free…..
Yes SIR, anything you say SIR. There’s total rust buckets on here with 3 or 4 times the price tag on this beauty, I’d like to hear your opinion on those
The interior color puts this over the top.
I tried to buy the car that was the yr and color combo of my 1st car in hs. Shelby would not let me buy it….oh well I tried.
Enjoy it.