The 1968 Mercury XR7-G remains one of the forgotten variants of the Cougar range. While it drew some inspiration from the previous year’s Dan Gurney Special, it was a model that received no input from the legendary racer. It also ranks as one of the rarest variants of the Cougar to roll off the production line, with a mere 619 buyers choosing to hand over the cash to park one in their driveway. Our feature XR7-G is a tidy survivor that needs a new home. It is located in Littleton, Colorado, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $21,400, but this figure remains short of the reserve.

The XR7-G was conceived as a styling and equipment package to all intent and purpose, and I will cover the additional components as we work our way through this article. The cars rolled off the production line as regular XR7s, but Mercury despatched the completed vehicles to an external contractor, A.O. Smith Incorporated, to install the components that comprised the XR7-G package. If the original buyer also chose the electric sunroof option, the Cougar was sent from Smith’s to American Sunroof Corporation for this before the car found its way back into the regular Mercury sales network. The original owner ordered this car finished in Grecian Gold with a Black vinyl top. The seller admits that the Cougar has received one repaint in its original color, but it isn’t clear when this occurred. The paint holds an impressive shine, with no issues or problems. The vinyl top is in as-new condition, while the trim and tinted glass are in excellent order. It appears that the XR7-G once wore a luggage rack because the holes are still visible in the trunk lid. The rack looks like it is included in the sale, so the buyer can choose to reinstall it or have the holes blocked to prevent moisture from finding its way into the trunk. The beauty of this car runs more than skin deep because the owner states that it is a rust-free classic. So far, it appears that this Mercury has no immediate needs.

The exterior of the XR7-G wore a few distinctive features that helped make the car more easily identifiable. These included a unique “XR7-G” badge on the passenger side headlamp cover, along with matching badges on the c-pillars. It drew on European styling flair by adding Lucas foglights mounted below the front bumper. Buyers also received a fiberglass dummy hood scoop, hood pins, and a unique exterior driver’s mirror. Radar Wheels initially supplied special “spiderweb” wheels for the XR7-G, but Mercury recalled these due to quality control issues, and their replacements were the Ford-styled steel wheels with XR7-G center caps. This car rolls on aftermarket wheels that the owner has fitted with those caps. However, the original wheels are included. As a package, this wasn’t a cheap proposition. Ticking that box on the Order Form added $666 to the Cougar’s sticker price.

Mercury offered the XR7-G package with several motors from which the buyer could choose. The rarest of these was the 428, which fourteen buyers selected. This car features the X-Code 390-2V V8 that produced 280hp. This was the weapon of choice for sixty-two XR7-G buyers. Mercury didn’t offer this engine with a manual transmission option, so the buyer will find this one backed by a 3-speed Merc-O-Matic (C6) transmission. The original owner also chose to equip this car with power steering and power front disc brakes. From a performance perspective, there is nothing wrong with a Cougar of this configuration because it should be capable of covering the ¼ mile in a respectable 15.7 seconds. Considering that Mercury considered the car as a vehicle to fill the void between the hard-edged Mustang and the more luxurious Thunderbird, that figure looks pretty respectable. Our feature car is a numbers-matching classic, but the owner admits to a few changes that the buyer could reverse. The original air cleaner is missing, so the buyer might want to hunt for a replacement. The owner has installed an upgraded radiator so that the Cougar can be driven reliably. It seems that the original might require a new core, and since it is included, the buyer could perform that work to maintain the vehicle’s originality. Otherwise, this XR7-G runs and drives well and is ready to be enjoyed by its new owner.

When we turn our attention to the Mercury’s interior, it’s hard to find much to fault. The owner admits that the heater core has been bypassed due to a slight leak. The buyer will need to address this issue, which gives them something to tackle during the winter months. Otherwise, everything functions as it should. The seats are upholstered in black leather, and they appear faultless. The same is true of the remaining upholstered surfaces, along with the dash and pad. Additional features that were part of the XR7-G option included leather door pulls, a wooden knob for the shifter, and a leather insert in the console with switches for the foglights. In addition, the original owner chose to equip this Cougar with air conditioning, a roof console, and an AM/FM stereo radio. It looks like the last item has made way for a more modern radio/cassette player, but that seems to be the only modification to this interior.

When you consider that Mercury produced 113,720 examples of the Cougar for the 1968 model year, it is easy to see how a variant with a production total of 619 cars could slip under the radars of many people. The engine fitted to our feature car further enhances its rarity, while its overall original condition adds to its desirability. Bidding hasn’t reached the reserve, and because they don’t appear on the market that often, it is hard to say where that reserve could be. If I were a gambling man, I would be placing my money on a figure north of $30,000 before we get close to the mark. There have been twenty-six bids submitted at the time of writing, and with plenty of time remaining on the listing, there’s a good chance that things could heat up significantly before the hammer falls.