I’ve always been a little envious of those who have the temperament to find a single car they like and drive it forever (What’s it like to not want one of everything?). That was apparently the case with this 1967 Mercury Cougar, which Barn Finds reader Curvette found on eBay in Clermont, Florida. A professor bought it new and used it to commute to work and back, and now it’s being sold as a one-owner, 49,000-mile survivor that’s been repainted once (in the early 2000s). Considering that the first-generation Cougar is one of Ford’s certified hits, you won’t be surprised to learn that bidding is already at $15,100 with four days left on the auction.
For being so closely related to the Mustang, the Cougar has always (to me) looked completely distinct. Of course, as soon as you open the hood, the ruse is up; however, the Cougar didn’t offer any of those Mustang sixes. This C-Code, 200-horsepower 289 two-barrel was standard, and in this case, it was bolted to a C-4 automatic and 2.79:1 gears in the 8″ open differential. In other words, its standard drivetrain was perfect for shuttling the professor back and forth to the university, and the seller says that it runs and drives well (there’s even a video). For those who wanted to get to work faster, a four-barrel 289 and a 390 four-barrel were optional. You’ll notice the air conditioning compressor mounted in front of the 289…to answer your question, no. It doesn’t work. The car does have power steering and power front disc brakes; the discs were optional on the Cougar, but it’s surprising to see them on such a run-of-the-mill cruiser. It’s possible that they were a more recent upgrade, but maybe the good pedagogue was safety-minded.
The interior is in “amazing, original shape,” and the black upholstery and trim match the door tag, as does the Code W “Trafalgar Blue” paint. The car was repainted in the early 2000s, as I mentioned, and the seller mentions that the paint is in good shape “for its age,” but it has “minor discoloration on the front driver fender,” which is noticeable in the first photograph. The paint is a nice color with a very British sounding name (Mercury seemed to present the Cougar as a Jaguar for the home team), and the black vinyl top complements it well.
One note about the door tag: It mentions a District Sales Office of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which means that the car was originally ordered by a dealer in that general vicinity. Judging by the undercarriage pictures, however, there is no way it stayed there long. Unit-body Fords from the salty north simply don’t look this good 58 years later. Perhaps the “shoebox full of service records and receipts” can shine some light on its origins.
The trunk looks good, and it is surprisingly roomy for a pony car variant.
Aside from the paint issue on the driver’s fender, the only nit to pick is the stance; it’s just a little too high in the rear for my liking. I don’t mind a bit of rake, but this is too much unless you’re looking to put some huge ’70s white-letter bias ply tires on the rear. But that’s an easy fix, and I’d be glad to do it to own such an original, solid Cougar. In my opinion, the ’67 Cougar is one of the prettiest cars Ford ever made, and this one looks like a winner.
Really nice Cougar here. The early years have always been my favorites. Great color combination too. I’m with you Aaron, I always thought that Cougars looked very distinct from Mustangs. When I was a little kid, I didn’t even know they were related truth be told, they just looked that different. I will admit, I’m no expert on prices, but if this is the real deal mileage and condition wise like it looks like in the photos, this could potentially be a good deal. Again, like Aaron said, to find one without rust is pretty rare these days. Where I grew up, EVERYTHING rusted within a few years.
Very nice one here.
Very nice one here.
Yes, high in the rear.
I drove a ’68 GT- XR7 back and forth to college for years and loved the car. Had the 390 (4v s code but tired) and wonderful 4 speed (3-4% of production on stick).
Open diff 3.5:1.
I still have the “6.5 Litre” metal fender emblem and bill of sale (1978, $800.).
I would go look at this one here. My HS best friend had a similar one, ’68 auto/302, and loved his. These were better cars we felt than the ’66 Mustang coupe we (Dad) owned.
That is one spotless undercarraige!
Go get it!
Have wanted the 390 version for awhile. These are elegant cars. The Yank Jag analogy kinda fits….
How could anyone purchase a 64/68 Mustang coupe over one of these (??!!)
Cougar is twice the car at half the price most of the time. And this one looks like a gem…….
I agree.
It’s amazing how adding 3 inches to the wheelbase could make the Cougar have so much more presence than the Mustang.
Back in the ’60s – no fastback, more expensive, less dealers, slower than mustang with same engine & rear, etc. because Cougar was heavier.
& in ’68 – Bullitt.
Today – nostalgia for the stang, memories of Ford’s magic skyway, & it being the 1st pony car. & less expensive/more aftmkt parts available.
Just an FYI, the A/C is not factory. From the factory the A/C would be in dash, not under the dash. The A/C in this car is either aftermarket or dealer installed.
I would question the rust free statement as the engine compartment photos clearly show that there is rust in the normal areas where the inner aprons meet the shock towers. And there is some sort of long patch pop riveted on the driver’s side.
Possibly a dealer-installed AC unit, which was fairly common back then.
Yes I saw those 8 pop rivits on the one engine photo, a lot of fresh lipstick on this one. Would definitely pay for a thorough inspection before bidding on this one. Not disputing the milage but all that fresh paint and undercoat hmmm.
You are right, that rust on the top of the inner fenders that has been painted black is not a positive sign. There was another car featured today, the 1967 Chevelle, that has some really sketchy work. It’s unfortunate that potential buyers only have a certain number of pictures, selected by the seller to look at that they base their decision on. They also interpret vaguely worded descriptions based on their preconceived notions, often ignoring obvious warning signs. Like you said, paying for an inspection is wise, I’d be surprised if many do.
Steve R
Pretty nice example of a “Gentleman’s Mustang”. The reason the bidding is imitating a Saturn V is because of how solid it looks, along with being mostly original. But did they have to Armorall the roof and tires though? Yeesh! Putting that goop on anything practically screams “better check me over”. Potential buyers should check the fender for Bondo and the roof for hidden rust.
The brake pedal pad is not correct for a factory disc brake car so the discs could well be a later addition, as Aaron astutely notes. The ’67 I owned for about 10 years was a base car like this one but did have the optional discs — 4-piston calipers in ’67 only, IIRC. Cool car but certainly no powerhouse with the C code 289 and automatic. Heavier than a Stang, too, which didn’t help performance with the base engine.
Early Cougars can rust as badly as early Mustangs, including at the cowl, so need a good inspection before purchasing.
Rust-through in the rear floor? – – – – seen in the muffler photo.
Nice looker, needs a professional inspection, looking for ‘lipstick’ all over.
They’d get more if the aftermarket a/c was removed….
Commute-to-work miles would be more than claimed. Not that it matters much, but back to ‘lipstick’ covering important stuff.
And a 50K mile car would still have its original brake pedal pad.
nice cat but whoever did that exhaust did a poor job. really have to question any other work that was done by looking at that. good luck
Well, this one has rust. Look closely at the shock tower areas where the spot welds are or should I say were. The riveted section rear of the driver’s side shock tower is bad news. Ikes! That is all I can say.
These are my favorite year Cougars and it looks like a really nice car but I agree with the stance height, as well as the previous rust comments. The passenger underside photo seems to be showing some rust out right under the front fender. I would definitely have it fully checked in person before placing a bid but many people don’t see to want to take that extra precaution.