One of my fears is someday having a medical issue that’ll keep me from enjoying my oddball collection of oddball vehicles. It happens more often than you may think, and that’s supposedly the case with this “mint condition” 1971 Mercury Cougar XR-7 Convertible. The seller has it posted here on craigslist in Delta, British Columbia, Canada, and they’re asking $24,999. I’m assuming those are Canadian dollars. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Curvette for the tip!
What a gorgeous car, wowie! Sadly, the seller says that the owner of this beauty had a stroke and can no longer drive, so it’s for sale. They say it was stored in the garage the entire time, but I’m not sure if that means the entire time they owned it or since the owner had a stroke. In either case, I don’t see a flaw in this car inside or out. It wouldn’t be until the fourth-generation Cougars in 1977 that they offered a four-door sedan. But, what if there was a 1971 four-door version…
Small, beautiful bumpers still ruled the day in 1971, and we don’t know if this was a Canadian market car originally or a U.S. car. There’s a photo of the speedometer, but no MPH or KM is shown on it. The second-generation Cougar was only made for three model years: 1971, 1972, and 1973. According to the FordMercuryCougarXR7.com website, Mercury offered a mind-blowing 34 colors for the 1971 Cougar, and six greens, so I’m not sure what the exact color of this car is, but what a gorgeous car in any color. I’d guess this is Medium Lime Poly.
The interior looks great, and this one has the optional full console. The seats appear in very nice condition, both front and rear, and there’s even extra material in the trunk. Does that mean that these were recovered at some point? We don’t know, but it’s handy to have some OEM material just in case. Or, maybe that material is for the convertible top cover? Speaking of that, we don’t see a photo of this car with the top up, I hope it’s as nice as the rest of the car appears to be. Hagerty is at $22,400 for a #3 good-condition example and $35,000 for a #2 excellent car, so they may be right on the money here.
The engine is a 351-cu.in. OHV V8, which had 240 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque with a two-barrel carb and 285 horsepower and 370 lb-ft of torque with a four-barrel. We don’t know what’s lurking under that air cleaner, but whatever carb is on here, this engine is backed by an automatic. The seller says, actually, they don’t say anything about the operating condition other than the general statement saying this car is in “mint condition.” Any thoughts on this XR-7 convertible?
We were not km in 1971 yet,still mph..we began the switch in 1975.These Cougars get a lot of hate because they got big like the 71′ Mustang but in a more formal way.I personally love these,they have so much style and beauty.
That is great info, ThunderRob, thanks! I remember 5th grade when we were being taught the metric system here in the U.S., and they said we’d be switching over soon. Fast forward 50 years…
ANOTHER idea from the government… like electric cars…. needs to go away.
That being said, the United States, Liberia, and Myanmar are the only three countries on the globe that aren’t using the metric system.
Couldn’t reply to the comment below yours directly so don’t take offense. Electric cars aren’t the government’s idea bunky. The government can provide incentives to buy them but the manufacturers came up with the idea all on their own in response to the market. You know higher gas prices. You don’t like electric cars? Don’t buy one. We’ll be driving by the gas stations laughing when Iran closes the straights of Hormuz. And yes I I own a Mustang but my next car will be a hybrid at least.
ok… when the Cougar was new I was 21.and working in the metalworking buisness where it is all English decimals.. and mostly still is. Myanmar and Liberia together can’t make a nut fit a bolt.
I am considering a hybrid for next car, but full EV does not appeal… especially if there is no other choice… because of Government mandates…. which were written by Poli Sci majors…. not engineers…
It’s already been well proven that Government policy affects gas prices which are currently falling. Toyota and Ford have already backed off on their EV programs.
The speedometer in this car is in MPH. A Cougar that was being exported to certain other countries did receive a speedometer in KM.
I highly doubt that the seats have been recovered. No one that I know of offers the correct XR7 style seat covers in reproduction form due to the embossed Cougar emblem on the covers. Most likely the extra material in the trunk is from the top boot cover.
The hubcaps are the standard Cougar style and not the correct XR7 style caps. Someone added aftermarket speakers to the doors.
Overall not a bad looking car. It should make someone a nice driver car.
Agree w ThunderRob. š
I owned the hardtop version of this car. It was no slouch. I’m in the market for one, but I’m holding out for a red one with a white interior.
Very nice Mercury. Throw in a spare tire and jack assembly and remove the sticker from the upper radiator hose.
$24,999 Canadian is $18,320 US so to me that makes this a very good deal. I havenāt seen one of these in this condition in quite a while. It just needs the optional mercury wheels with center caps and trim rings or chrome magnum 500ās.
Very nice
@Fox owner- Your world of EV dominance is just a fantasy. Not in our lifetime. Dream On.
Iām not a big fan of the upsized ā71 Cougar, and I donāt care for green, but I have to admit that this is a very nice car.
Fox Owner: Since I go by Bunky, Iāll reply to your EV comment. Here in Washington State the powers that be are doing everything possible to force us to go electric, or ride Mass Transit. The Mass Transit is a multi billion dollar debacle, which currently supplies actively mobile housing for the homeless. Mega bucks have also been spent attempting to create a network of charging stations for cars and trucks. Utter failure. The sale of petro powered vehicles has already been outlawed, to take effect in a few years. This is NOT market driven. Drive what you want- but donāt pontificate about how āeveryone wants oneā, and threaten to laugh at me when there is a contrived energy crisis. Bad form.
We Americans can be a stubborn lot. Most of us cling to our pounds and feet for dear life. But thanks Scotty for the insight into what other countries have resisted metric. I had no idea that we were in such a select club. This is a good looking car and would make a pleasant cruiser on a nice day. But the fact that it is in British Columbia means that it might as well be on the dark side of the moon as far as Iām concerned. California and the Pacific Northwest sure have the best preserved cars. So many times here on BF I see a vehicle that I think Iād like to pursue only to realize that it resides in a place too far. Shame about the seller being forced to sell due to health reasons. It reminds you to be thankful for your own good fortune. GLWTS.
We “hang on” to our pounds and feet because we’re Americans! 249 years and still going strong! And yes, it seems like almost every good deal on here is West of the Rockies. I can’t afford to spend the extra cash for transport, plus pay a stranger look over the car for me. I never was a gambler.