The Mercury Cougar was one of those happy accidents that appear every so often. The company was desperate to produce an upmarket version of the Mustang, but there were serious misgivings in the corridors of power within Ford that such a car would be a sales success. Eventually, and with some reservations, the powers that be gave the project the green light. It proved to be a fortuitous decision because the Cougar, in various guises, would eventually prove to be the most successful badge ever to be produced by the company. This 1969 Cougar XR7 is a well-equipped beast. The original owner ordered it with the GT Equipment Group, and when combined with its other options, its Marti Report lists it as a 1-of-1 vehicle. It presents well and is ready to find its way to a new home. Located in Milton, New York, you will find the XR7 listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set the BIN at $39,969, but he also left open the option to make an offer.
This XR7 is a striking car finished in a combination of Medium Blue Metallic with a Black vinyl top. The owner admits that the vehicle received a repaint in its original shade around 15-years-ago and that there are now a few flaws and marks. None of these appear to be serious, and the car could be driven as a survivor with no feelings of shame. The vinyl is in excellent order, with no signs of lifting or other deterioration. The panels are about as straight as you are ever likely to find in a vehicle of this age, and the impressive collection of photos supplied by the seller reveal no signs of rust. The vehicle’s underside shows a dusting of surface corrosion in some areas, but there’s no evidence of penetrating rust or other issues that might compromise the car’s structural integrity. The 15″ Magnum 500 wheels are a later addition that suits the car well, but the original 14″ DeLuxe hubcaps are included. The original owner ordered the Cougar with tinted glass, and its condition is as impressive as the rest of the exterior.
Lifting the XR7’s hood reveals the numbers-matching M-Code 351ci V8 that should be producing 290hp. Bolted to this is the original 3-speed automatic transmission, while a later owner has fitted a 3.00 Limited Slip rear end. The original owner also ordered the car with power steering and power front disc brakes. Mercury didn’t develop the Cougar to be as hard-edged as its cousin, the Mustang. However, a ¼ mile ET of 15.9 seconds still looked pretty impressive for a pony car with distinct luxury leanings. For potential buyers, the news with this Mercury seems to be fairly positive. The owner has rebuilt the original carburetor and has thoroughly inspected the vehicle from end to end. He can find no mechanical faults or problems, which indicates that the Cougar is ready to hit the road. He says that the 351 runs perfectly, the transmission shifts smoothly and that he would have no hesitation in embarking on a cross-country journey in this classic today.
Turning our attention to the interior, we discover that the original owner liked his touches of luxury. The car comes equipped with Dark Blue leather upholstery, ice-cold air conditioning, a tilt-away rimblow wheel, a console, and an AM radio with a rear speaker. This last item has made way for a more modern unit, but the factory item is included if the buyer is striving for complete originality. That would be in keeping with the rest of the interior because it is as it left the factory. It has a few minor flaws, but it remains presentable. The leather on the driver’s seat shows the sort of cracking that can develop in older leather. I believe that a specialist might be able to address this without the need for replacement, and a bit of careful work would return the seat to an appearance close to factory-fresh. The headliner has a couple of small tears that have been repaired, but the seller is including a new headliner for buyers who are focused on perfect presentation. Otherwise, the remaining upholstery presents well, there is no appreciable wear on the carpet, and the console, dash, and pad are free from significant problems. The seller places some emphasis on the relative rarity of this car, and the included Marti Report would seem to support this claim. However, its 1-of-1 status is pretty tenuous. When you break down the options chosen by the original owner, the factor that makes this car unique was the decision to order the car with the collapsible spare tire. The owner reveals that this is no longer present, undermining the owner’s claim that this is a genuinely unique vehicle. Still, what remains does make this Cougar a relatively rare beast.
If we ignore the rarity claims that the seller makes about this 1969 Mercury Cougar XR7 GT and focus on its overall condition, it is a classic that seems to have a lot to offer potential buyers. It presents well for its age, it appears to be rust-free, and it is well equipped. There are currently 80 people watching the listing, and you have to wonder whether one of them will be tempted to hit the BIN button soon. If they did, I don’t think that I could blame them. Of course, you might decide to beat them to the punch, and if you do, I wish you many years of enjoyable classic motoring.
Very nice Cougar. The blue/black/blue combination is particularly clean-looking and fits the classy nature of the XR-7 very well. Then add the Magnums and the white letter tires and the resulting look is outstanding. Looks to be in very good condition. The new owner could do some improvements such as underhood detailing, or leave it as-is. It’s an eye-catching, well-equipped, unique vehicle.
The first gen Cougar was the best looking of the all of the cars that would share that nameplate, and the 1969 was the best of all.
This is a very nice looking car that should give the next owner years of pleasure. The only negative that I see, and this is a VERY minor point, is that the hubcaps shown in the listing are not original to this car. Those are standard Cougar hubcaps, the XR-7 models had a different hubcap with the XR-7 emblem in the middle of it.
Buick called. They want their sweepspear back.
Cougar didn’t have a sweepspear, I.e. a chrome decoration. Cougar happened to have a body sculpting effect that was similar but classier.
You know ( here it comes) no, wait, I think I can finally put these outlandish prices on the back burner, and comment on what a beautiful car this,,,was. I’m saying was, because, in 1969, you didn’t need to be the King of some small country to own one, a secretary ( with a generous boss) could have one. This was a gals car, and was optioned to the “nines”, I don’t think a box wasn’t checked on the order form( wheels, which add a lot, I’m sure came much later) guys didn’t go for stuff like this. They wanted Cobra Jet motors and neck snapping 4 speeds and A/C? For stoplight drags? Why bother? The Cougar was always the Mustang in an evening gown, and no better example is right here.
The other day, I saw’r Cougars lowest point in existence, it was a 1977 Cougar 4 door station wagon,, :(
If you want to revive that 1 of 1 status, the new owner really needs to source the correct compact spare, at least to show the car.
That’s just a real honest car, nothing to not like.
Fine looking car cougars of this vintage were the finest of the entire life of the cougar name. Potentially very correct on it being owned by a woman but in this case that sure may not be a bad thing! I am going to buy a cougar some day but this one is just to original and nice for me to make lots of changes to. It it sure a good looker!!
Nicely optioned Cougar. I had a ‘69 Cougar XR-7 with identical drivetrain but no leather seats (rare) or options like this car has. A premium muscle car you can drive to a car show in style. Great car!
Leather seats were a part of the XR-7 package. It was possible to downgrade the seats when you placed your order but very few people did that. The vast majority of all XR-7s will have leather seats.
Is the front air dam part of the XR-7 or GT package? I don’t remember seeing those on Cougars. An all around nice car.
The front spoiler was not a part of the XR-7 package and I do not recall it being a part of the GT package. It was a part of the Eliminator package. Most likely this spoiler was added later in this cars life. If it was added early enough the owner might have gotten one through the dealership parts department. If it was added later it could be a reproduction.
I am then previous owner of this car – I added the front air dam because I liked the way it looks on the car and it is a bolt on addition using only existing bolts, no drilling or alterations needed. I can tell you pretty much anything you want to know about it as I owned it for nearly 12 years
Im confused. Was a GT package offered on for the 69 model year???
If so any documentation or info on what was included in that package.
I was under the impression the GT-E and GT was only available in 67 and 68.
No, the 428 CJ package replaced the GT/GT-E
Although not everyone back then was a motor head with the sole purpose of blowing the other guys doors off, at every oportune time, I think Howard called it on this classy cat. It’s a great looking ride throughout but those magnum wheels take an ordinary performer and give it a muscular vibe. She’s no muscle car at all, just a cool looking cat ready for showing and cruising.
Never got the attention that the ’69 Mustang got, considering it’s a much better-looking car (IMHO).
The owner found it in their heart to lower the price – to the rock bottom price of $37,777.
Great looking car,my 1st car was a 1970 xr7,which was a parts car,but at age 17…I had big plans, enough on that,someday I’ll own another 69 or 70 that’s not a project,also had a 67 xr7,driver, but too much body work needed,these are very classy cars,with great style.
xR-7 yes, GT no. That option was gone in 1969, replaced with the 428 CJ package.