The second generation of the Fox Body platform Cougars, the 1983 through 1988 seventh-generation Mercury Cougars, might be considered the sportiest models for the brand in a decade and a half. They always say to buy the nicest example that you can find and this rust-free 1987 Mercury Cougar 20th Anniversary model can be found listed here on craigslist in Avondale, Arizona. The seller is asking $4,200 for this desert jewel.
There aren’t many flaws in this car that I can see, at least cosmetically. One possible issue may be seen above in the right corner of the front bumper rubber unless that’s a trick of the camera and/or the light. And, like buying a car online with photos taken after a car wash or in the rain, taking photos at dusk looks super cool but it’s not the best way to really show the details. I would want to see this one in person or at least check out the photos like a madman before lining up a shipper.
That being said, this is a really nice-looking car. As the title implies, this is a one-year 20th-anniversary edition of which they made just over 5,000 examples with 800 of them being reserved for Canadian customers. This beautiful dark red (“Cabernet Red”) goes perfectly with the gold trim and black-out trim. The seller tells us that this car has no rust and looks “factory new” underneath.
The interior looks great other than some issues with the driver’s seat and I’m assuming the dash top is fried from the Arizona sun. Or, maybe not, but anytime that I see a dash cover I expect the worst. It could be on there to preserve it, who knows. The back seat looks like new and it shouldn’t be a huge problem to find matching material for the driver’s seat.
The engine is under there somewhere, I think. It’s a Ford 302 cubic-inch V8 which had 150 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque. Have any of you seen a 1987 20th Anniversary edition Mercury Cougar?
I thought these were lookers in their day and still look good today. I think these models should of had a console shift and luggage rack delete to match the aggressive turbine wheels, but oh well it’s still sharp.
Those are the exact two things I would have wanted to be different upon first glance!
I worked at a Mercury dealer back in 1987 and the dealer had one come in with buckets and console it was the same color as this one. It also had a button for suspension choice you could press the button and have sport suspension. I remember these cars were very nice.
People who wanted those 2 things probably got the XR7 model and not this.
Nice car, reminds me of the 1988 T-Bird I bought in the summer of 92. It was white with red interior. The light bulb for the speedometer kept burning out and was a pain to change. Odd thing was before I bought it i never noticed another white t bird in town and I soon realized there was at least 5 of them in a town of 4500 people
My Dad had a white/blue interior 87 TBird, bought new. . Kept it (as a second car) until 2005/2006.
I learned how to drive in that car in 88/89.
I had a chance to buy one coming off lease in 1989 from a place I worked. Having just bought my first house a couple of years earlier and being a young guy in my twenties I just couldn’t swing the financing.
This was in Canada. I knew it was rare but one of eight hundred..wow!
I had a 1986 T bird, what a POS. Traded it in for an 87 Rx4Ti. Great car, except for the turbo’s cooling system and if not for the fact that it was hit 3 times, I would of kept it. I was pulled over by the CHP for doing Est 130 in a 55. The officer asked if I knew how fast I was going, I said I don’t know the Speedo only went up to 65.
Interesting car… I think the gold trim was actual gold plating on these if I remember correctly. Can’t say I’m a fan of blinging out with gold on my car. Or my teeth. Not my look. I’d rather have an ’87 2 tone Black/gray XR7 with blackout trim and the 10 hole rims. Or better yet, just get an ’87 Lincoln LSC. Center console, more HP…
I had the 83’ it had a console but column shift lol it was a very nice riding car though. Put 180K on it and sitting at a light or walking around the car you couldn’t tell it was running it was so quiet and smooth almost unbelievable. Two tone silver and charcoal with red pinstripes. Charcoal leather interior.
I fancy myself as somewhat of an expert in these as a paid a lot of attention to them back in the day. No I don’t remember ever seeing one. I do remember seeing several Bostonians, but never one of these.
In 1987 there were only two Cougar trims. LS and XR7. This looks like it’s based on the XR7. That year, Ford got rid of the turbo and manual transmission in the XR7. You could only get the lo-po EFI 302 with the automatic, like in this one. I always felt they should have given it the H.O. 225 horsepower 302 out of the Mustang GT/LX 5.0, but they didn’t. Probably because they didn’t want it to compete with the Mark VII LSC in the same showroom.
I remember seeing one of these 87 or 88s a couple of years ago for sale locally for around the same price except this one was a Levi Edition with the badging, and was blue which was a better color than this one to me.
This brings up the whole notion of de-tuning an engine. This 5.0 should have had the same power as the Mustang GT. I know the old canard is they didn’t want it competing with the Mustang, but I throw down the BS flag on that one. A sale is a sale and the Mustang and Cougar were in two different demographic markets. Why take power out of an engine? Another theory was they didn’t want a motor more powerful than the top of the line turbo four. The turbo sold in microscopic numbers in the Cougar, so again I say, a sale is a sale why worry about it?
I think Ford should have worried more about competing with other car companies than with itself.
I just pick up a 94 tbird with a 4.6 with 52 on it clean
Not a car expert by any means. Love barn finds and love this particular car. I good friend of mine used to sell cars a large Ford dealership and back in the day drove one of these as a demo. Sweeeeet. Can someone please tell me what the frequently used term FOX BODY represents
The term ” Fox-body ” comes from the project name Ford gave to the Fairmont/Zephyr cars as they were in the planning stages. VW-Audi sold a car starting in late 1972 (5 years before the Fairmont hit showrooms) that for VW was a huge game changer. The Fairmont would be a game changer for Ford in that the platform for the car was all new and was designed with an emphasis on strength with light weight.
The Fox-body would eventually be adapted for use by the Mustang, the American built Capri, this Cougar, the 1980-1996(?) Thunderbirds, Lincoln’s Continental and Marks VII and VIII, and the second generation Granada.
And the mid size LTD/Marquis!
87-88 were the best looking models of that car in the 80’s. I had a 88 XR-7 5.0. Awesome car loaded down with every option. In the same color as the one in your article with a dark grey leather interior.
I looked at these when new but liked the ’88 style better as it offered the “monochromatic” paint scheme and silver wheels. Also important to me was the analog gauge package (complete) with buckets and floor shifter. The car went away with my ex-wife to it was nice to see this one out there. There was a twin to mine at a car show two years ago. Just as clean and missed out for $3500.
I had an 87 Cougar. Not the Anniversary Edition though. Loved that car. Comfortable and cruised down the highway great with the 302. Somehow Ford thought the Turbo Coupe was the performance midsize.
Looks can be deceiving but this appears to be a beautiful Cougar. Nice styling, nice interior, and acceptable condition. I think it’s easily worth the asking.
There is a 86 TC in Denver craigs. Looks like a scrappy example for 10k.