Seeing this 1968 Mercury Cougar XR-7 made me think of its virtues vs. those of its crosstown rival, the Pontiac Firebird, both new market entrants in 1967. And of course, there’s the inevitable comparison between the Cougar and its corporate cousin, the Ford Mustang. This much I know, I have always appreciated the first-generation (’67 – ’70) Cougar more than either the Mustang or the Firebird, especially the ’67-’68 version – more on that to follow. Today’s find is claimed to be an all-original, one-owner car, and that sounds like a good start. It’s located in Seattle, Washington and is available, here on craigslist for $19,500.

Back to that Cougar/Firebird comparison. As previously stated, both were introduced in ’67 as upscale versions of the Mustang and Camaro, respectively. I clearly remember the Cougar’s introduction, but not the Firebird’s. To my eyes, the Cougar didn’t look like a Mustang while the Firebird seemed more like a Camaro wearing a Pontiac nosepiece.  The Cougar didn’t offer a convertible until ’69 while the Firebird went with a drop-top right out of the gate. The Cougar used a longer wheelbase than the Mustang (111″ vs. 108″) but Firebird stayed with the F-body 108″ stretch that the Camaro utilized. Cougar said no to six-cylinder engines while Firebird embraced its OHC unit – pretty heady stuff for a late-sixties domestic. Finally, the Cougar employed standard Ford engines while the Firebird was Pancho all the way – no Chevy small blocks allowed. So, both manufacturers employed similar as well as different characteristics in their pursuit of market share.

Looking at this XR-7, the upscale Cougar, I don’t really see much Mustang – certainly not in the front end where hide-a-way headlights were the order of the day. The concept of a long hood/short deck is obvious but that’s about it. The seller tells us that this Merc has always been garaged and well cared for and it looks it. The finish is aged but still presents well and there’s no sign or crash damage, parking lot mishaps, or rust. It’s nice to see the original wheel covers still in place – those were so often tossed in favor of something more sporting wheel-wise. The exterior appears to need nothing.

The interior is not so fortunate. The seats are a combination of leather and vinyl and the leather portion looks like an English smoking parlor that has moved to a rough part of town. Perhaps the leather portions can be rejuvenated but they look like they could be beyond repair. As for the rest of the environment, it all checks out. The dash, instrument panel and gauges, door panels, and center console show well with a carpet that reveals some completely expected and typical fade.

The seller informs us that, “the car runs and drives great” but tells us nothing about its mechanical specifications. The VIN isn’t included so that can’t be decoded for engine determination but my vote is that the powerplant is the standard XR-7, and new for ’68, 210 gross HP 302 CI V8. The seller mentions that the shocks and front “tension rod” (the strut rods for setting the caster?) bushings have been replaced. Making the rear wheel connection is a three-speed Merc-O-Matic automatic transmission. Of concern is this car’s mileage, it is stated as being 164K miles so I imagine that Windsor V8 may be starting to exhibit some effects from all that wear. While the engine may not need a rebuild immediately, it would be something for the next owner to keep in the back of their mind.

Back to that one owner item, unless the seller can prove that he bought the car new, I run with the assumption that he picked it up from the original owner and is now flipping it. Documentation is included so that matter should be easily put to rest. If I had my druthers, I’d take this Cougar over a similar Mustang, or a Firebird, or a Camaro for that matter, and I don’t consider myself to be a Ford guy – certainly not in the truest sense. I just like the look of this generation Cougar and the originality aspect of it is reassuring. That said, that mileage would have me a bit concerned, how about you?