The Mercury Cougar was one of three new “pony cars” to arrive in 1967. With infrastructure shared with the Ford Mustang, the safe bet was that the Cougar would help Ford Motor Co. stay in control of the new market space. More opulent than the Mustang – especially in XR-7 trim – the Cougar sold almost 151,000 units in 1967 and would eventually be Mercury’s best-selling model long term. This XR-7 has been stored in the seller’s pole band for more than 25 years and has a 390 cubic inch “Marauder” V8. The seller/dealer is thinning the herd, and this Mercury is on the chopping block in Jacksonville, Florida. It’s available here on eBay where the current bid is $5,000, the reserve is unmet, and the pass-go price is $12,500.
Base and XR-7 Cougars were both eligible for the GT option which came with a 320 hp version of the 390 eight-cylinder. The suspension was also beefed along with the brakes, so if performance was your goal, the XR-7 GT delivered both style and speed. Unlike the Mustang, Cougars had hidden headlights and were only sold as hardtop coupes (sorry, no convertibles until 1969). BTW, the XR-7 acronym may have been an abbreviation for “experimental racing”.
As the story goes, this ’67 Cougar has lived in a covered shelter since the late 1990s. It’s an 84,000-mile vehicle that may have been sitting on a dirt floor all this time. The running gear of this Cougar is said to be original, including the C6 automatic transmission and 9-inch rear end. Though it hardly looks like it now, the seller says this pony was restored just before going into hibernation, but much of that work is undone now. The car came with styled steel wheels and they’re sitting in the back seat.
We’re told this vehicle can be coaxed back to life fairly easily, but that may be a bit optimistic. Fortunately, the engine is not stuck and will turn over (per the seller). The photos show a car that was white in color to begin with and changed to teal/blue at some point. We’re not sure how much attention the interior is going to need besides thorough cleaning (and the steering wheel has to go). If you’re looking for an alternative to an early Mustang to restore, could this possible rare car fit the bill?
I live this model courgar, maybe because as a kid I had several matchbox versions of it. (I was born in 65).
The concealed headlights, mmm, and the taillights that matched, mmm again.
To me doesn’t matter what’s under the bonnet, it’s just one hell of a great looking car.
I had commented on another early Cougar a while back. As a little kid I fell in love with the sequential turn signals on these. That was just so neat to a little kid. I preffer a cougar over a Mustang. I like Mustangs too, but Cougars are just a little extra special.
Don’t forget the sequential turn signals. That was the coolest to see as a kid riding around town with the folks.
He literally mentioned them in his sentence. 🤪
And I loved them as a kid, too!
This is the same seller who’s rusty Mercury Cyclone was featured on this site last week.
Based on the parts they’ve listed over the years they probably have some really nice and/or rare cars too, which they either haven’t gotten to or aren’t planning on selling.
Steve R
Anyone who is seriously interested in this car would be well advised to do in person inspection before buying it. The seller lists it as being an S code XR-7 and the VIN posted in the item specs section matches that idea. However the photo of the door data plate is for a 1967 standard Cougar with a 289 2V. The photos of the interior are of the standard style interior with the exception of the instrument cluster and the right dash panel, those are the only XR7 interior pieces in this car. This car is a hodge podge of parts. Perhaps someone swapped in the standard style interior. Or perhaps someone cut the S code XR7 VIN stamp area out of the inner fender apron and grafted it into the C code car. Either way it could be a problem depending upon how your states DMV works.
Agree, that is not an XR-7 interior, only the upper part of the instrument panel is
This guy’s definition of “restored at some poin” must mean a $99.95 paint job over the original color.
What a shame it was left to wither away like that !
“seller says this pony was restored just before going into hibernation”
The seller’s idea of restoration and mine are world’s apart. I’d love to have a Cougar, but this one is not it.
By the time you get this up and running you could buy one on better shape and running!
I agree with CATHOUSE to a point: however, the door tag may have come with the door from another Cougar. It’s quite possible the driver’s door may have been in an accident and changed out. The real proof is in the stamping on the frame rails, which positively show it was born with a 390. There may even be a buck tag hiding behind the grille on the radiator brace.
That of course is a possibility. The door data plate is not held in place by the original rivots though so it has been off the door at least once.
I was thinking the exact same thing.
A quick hose job so you know dirt from rust.
At the price I think it’s been already “underwater” and I think the buyer will be.
It’s grubby.
I bought a 1968 mercury cougar gt, s code 390 car. However the motor and c 6 are long gone. The car is in decent condition. A few years ago I rebuilt a 302 and was going to drop it in there. To me personally, I just wanted to build the car to have fun with. Any thoughts???