As the cars of the eighties fall under the ever-watchful gaze of collectors, it is hard to find original cars in mint condition.  While the occasional Corvette, Mustang, 0r Camaro has emerged from its tomb with a handful of miles, more common automobiles are often driven until they are unceremoniously towed to the junkyard.  Reader Tony P. has, however, located one of the nicest eighties Cougars on the market.  This 1988 Mercury Cougar is for sale on Craigslist in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and has just 17,200 miles on the odometer.   It is in pristine shape, is packing the legendary 5.0-liter V-8, and has been garaged its whole life.  Does all of that goodness make the car worth the $16,500 asking price?

By the time the sixth generation of the Mercury Cougar rolled around, the car had become a slightly more luxury-oriented version of the Ford Thunderbird personal luxury coupe.  While these cars shared the Fox platform chassis with the previous generation, there was a huge difference in styling.  Ford had decided to craft their cars and trucks with an eye toward aerodynamics.  The Ford Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar that debuted in 1983 was sleeker and far more modern than their boxy predecessors.  The company was rewarded with a huge sales jump and a measurable gain in the all-important fuel efficiency numbers that CAFE standards were imposed on the industry.

The main difference between the Cougar and the Thunderbird was the back glass.  Cougar owners were given more traditional vertical back glass, while Ford’s was sleekly angled back to form a near-seamless silhouette from roof to tail.  The aerodynamic body style of the Thunderbird was a huge contributing factor in Bill Elliot’s running roughshod in NASCAR.  Cougar owners didn’t have a NASCAR team to root for, as the vertical rear glass didn’t offer the same benefits.  One thing the Cougar was good at was drawing new blood into your local Lincoln Mercury dealership.  It was a good-looking car that came at the right time for the division.

The Cougar and Thunderbird also proved to be comfortable and durable for most users.  While the turbocharged 2.3-liter inline four-cylinder engine from the Thunderbird Turbo Coupe was offered in the Cougar XR-7, it gave way to the 4.9-liter (marketed as the 5.0) V-8 in 1987.  The base engine for the rest of the Cougar lineup was the 3.8-liter V-6.  Customers could opt for the previously mentioned coveted 5.0-liter V-8 on regular Cougars.  This engine choice offered 155 horsepower in comparison to the 3.8 V-6’s 140 hp.  Both were backed up with a four-speed AOD automatic by 1988.

There are not a lot of descriptive words offered in this Craigslist ad to confuse us.  The seller shares that they are the second owner of this 1988 Mercury Cougar and that it has a ridiculously low 17,200 miles on the odometer.  It is described as a car that has always been stored “clean, dry, and inside.”  Another selling point is that the car was never exposed to winter driving.  Given that the car is being sold in Wisconsin, that is surely good news and is backed up by a complete lack of rust and corrosion damage.  The ad also provides a photo of the window sticker.  That window sticker shows the car was equipped with a 5.0-liter V-8 engine, a power seat, and a red velour interior.

The overall condition of this Cougar is amazing.  You just don’t find a whole lot of eighties Cougars with super low mileage out there anymore.  People drove these cars into the ground and moved on.  Given their popularity, I am sure there are several people who would like to have a Cougar of this vintage for old-time’s sake.  I am not sure if the asking price of $16.500 will draw on their sense of nostalgia that much.  Hopefully, this car finds a good home and is occasionally shown and driven.

Did you own a Cougar or Thunderbird of this era?  What are your memories of the car?  Do you think this one is worth the $16,500 asking price?  Please share your memories and thoughts in the comments.