The Mercury Cougar is a car that nearly didn’t exist, with those in the upper echelons at Ford initially unwilling to grant permission for Mercury to produce a pony car based on the Mustang. However, they relented, and the rest is history. Our feature car is from the first year of production but has hibernated for many years. It is a solid vehicle that could be a straightforward restoration project. The seller feels it should have a second chance at life, listing it here on eBay in Trinity, Alabama. Bidding has raced beyond the reserve and sits at $7,000.
It’s funny how certain classic cars leave an indelible impression the moment you first lay your eyes on them. Many have slipped under my radar, but one that I remember clearly was my first 1967 Mercury Cougar. It wore the same Lime Frost paint that graces this car’s panels, although it didn’t sport a vinyl top. I remember that car because I was struck by its styling and the distinctive grille with the concealed headlamps. The history of this Cougar is vague, but it has spent many years in storage. It hasn’t dramatically impacted its appearance, although it would benefit from a cosmetic refresh. Rust is the greatest enemy with First Generation Cougars, although it isn’t bad on this car. The seller says the roof is soft around the sunroof, but they include a replacement roof skin to address the problem. Otherwise, it is as solid as a rock. I’m fascinated by what appears to be a hood tach on this car, which I believe might be a dealer addition. The exterior trim and grille look good, as does the glass. The Cougar rolls on a set of what I believe to be genuine Shelby wheels, and, as we will see, it isn’t the only link this car has with that name.
If I’m going to criticize anything about this Cougar, it is the supplied photos rather than the car itself. Every image in the listing is posted sideways, meaning you need to be a gymnast to view them without downloading them from eBay. The car’s interior isn’t perfect, although I’d perform a deep clean and thorough inspection before compiling a list of replacement parts. There are removed components and chaos wherever you look, but there are no signs of shredded upholstery. The wheel center sits on the passenger seat, with more trim pieces on the floor. The original owner specified air conditioning, although the compressor is long gone. They also chose an AM/FM radio, a tilt/telescopic wheel, a Ford tissue dispenser, and a factory compass. The exterior Shelby link continues inside this classic, with the dash above the glove compartment bearing the great man’s signature.
I’m disappointed that the seller supplies no engine photos, but they provide enough information to suggest it won’t take much work to return this classic to active duty. Unlike the Mustang upon which it was based, Cougar drivers received no six-cylinder option. In 1967, there were two versions of the sweet little 289ci unit and a 390ci brute for those who feel the need for speed. This car features the A-Code 289, producing 225hp. The original owner added a three-speed Merc-O-Matic transmission, with power assistance for the steering and front disc brakes. While it is heavier than its Mustang equivalent, this classic could still cover the ¼-mile in a respectable 16.2 seconds. Although it has sat for years, the seller states this car starts, runs, and drives. Potential buyers shouldn’t consider it roadworthy because it requires a thorough inspection to determine its needs before it can safely terrorize the tarmac.
Its sales volumes may have paled next to its Ford cousin, but the 1967 Cougar acquitted itself well during the first production year. Ford management was pleasantly surprised that 150,893 buyers took home a Cougar, well over Mercury’s forecast. The Cougar spent years in the Mustang’s shadow, but times have changed. Not only have values gained ground on the Ford, but the right vehicle commands a higher price in the market than its Blue-Oval counterpart. This car’s lack of significant rust makes it a prime restoration candidate, and a high-end finish should reap financial rewards. Achieving that level would produce a classic worth at least $30,000 in the current market, although recent results suggest the figure could be higher. That makes it worth a closer look.
I’m tired of the “Carroll Shelby signature” thing.Seems
like he signed almost every Shelby badged vehicle,plus a lot
of others (for a price).And those wheels,if original,are probably
worth a small fortune by themselves.
Still,it’s nice to see these cars finally getting respect.
I’d be happy to have something signed by Carroll, but that’s just me. Nice car btw. Early Cougars are under appreciated in my opinion.
Anything money Carroll made signing cars/gloveboxes was donated to charity.
I have a lot of questions about this car. Maybe some Cougar experts could shed some light. The emblem on the side of the roof should say XR7. It does not, so could be a Gurney edition? Why wouldn’t the seller state that. Very rare. The hood scoop, Gurney edition. The tach on the hood has me baffled. Has GT badges on the front fenders. How about a picture of the rare factory compass? I guess I shouldn’t speculate on this cars rarity to help this seller make more money. HELP!
The car is most assuredly not an XR7. You would have the wood trim dash and gauges with that.
The pics are awful but that badge looks a little like a Shelby logo. With the wheels it might be some home cooked upgrade… not sure.
@Woofer: Gurney edition in ’67-8 was just a cosmetic package. You might be thinking of the ’68 XR-7G, which was not the Gurney edition but a different model entirely and ’68-only based on the XR-7. This car being a base ’67 cannot be an XR-7G.
Instead it looks like a melange of mismatched parts, most of which are not correct for a ’67. GT badges were only on 390s but this car reportedly is a 289. The steering wheel is Mustang, no ’67s had a hood scoop so the hood is from a ’68 XR-7G or GT-E, the center grille is GT-E, the roof badge may or may not be XR-7G (with such terrible photos, who can tell?), fog lights could be XR-7G but appear to lack the unique XR-7G front valence and no ’67 had a sunroof from the factory. The wheels do look Shelby, but no Cougar came with them and there was no “factory compass” option as far as I know.
When listing photos are this hard to decipher it’s a good bet the seller is trying to hide something or a lot of somethings.
I agree 100% with tiger66. I saw all the same incorrect parts and will add that the shifter handle is not original. It appears to be one from an actual 68 XR-7G. The front spoiler is also something that was never available on a 67 Cougar from the factory, it is an aftermarket item. Also the hood scoop could have just been added to the original hood, they are just a bolt on item. Also note that the decklid now appears to be held in place by 4 hood pins, like a race car. There is no such thing as a tilt/telescopic steering column for a 67 Cougar. It could have a tilt/tilt-away steering column but the photos do not show enough to really say for sure.
The sail panel emblem is a Shelby item, I do not know what year, but you can clearly see the coiled snake.
It looks to me like someone was trying to make their own custom version of a cross between a Shelby and an XR-7G. If the Shelby and G parts shown are original FoMoCo parts they would have a decent value on their own.
On the plus side this car appears to have the rare convenience light group. Only 3122 67 Cougars received that option. If the luggage rack is original it too is a rare option, only 1071 standard Cougars received that option. If the AM/FM radio is original that too is a fairly rare option, only 4196 standard Cougars had that option.
I forgot to mention that the passenger side mirror appears to be from a 68 XR-7G as well.
This Cat is rare. I remember as a kid seeing this type of GT Cougar in my area. It was yellow gold very fast. I remember those wheels then he put on S/S Cragars (spelling may be off) it change the look. This Cat has many options on it. Not too many like this is left. It does deserve a second chance. Good luck to the next owner. Merry Christmas ⛄🎄
67 & 68 Cougars both had GT versions (with or without the XR7 option), but that should mean a 390 engine not a 289. The (Dan) Gurney option was offered in 68 (I believe as an XR7-G) and is mostly cosmetic changes. A true GT (or better yet GTE in 68) would be your rare/valuable Cougars in 67/68 – if they had the original drivetrain (390 or 427/428 in 68 GTE’s)
Looks like several non-original factory parts may have been used in this 67 – a Marti Report would tell you want this car left the factory with. West Coast Classic Cougar is another great source of Cougar info
It was also possible to get a 1968 Cougar GT with the R code 428CJ engine.
The Dan Gurney connection can get confusing to those not deep into Cougars. In 1967 and 1968 you could get what was known as a Dan Gurney Special. This was basically just a dress up addition. You got some chrome under the hood, a slightly different hubcap and a Dan Gurney Special decal on the quarter window. Then in 1968 Mercury came out with the Cougar XR-7G. There were only 619 of these cars built. They were very different from the Dan Gurney Special cars. The XR-7G cars came with a special front valance with fog lights, a special emblem on the right side headlight door, a non functional hood scoop, special outside rear view mirrors, a special emblem on the exterior sail panels, a special center cap for the styled steel wheels, a special emblem for the trunk lock cover, a special center console, slightly different door panels and door pulls. Many of the XR-7G cars originally were sold to Hertz to be used as rental cars.
Boy does this eBay ad cry for more pics-and correct orientation!!
Nobody mentioned the duct tape option on the windshield!
It looks to me like someone was putting a new vinyl top on the car. You can see that it still needs trimmed for the rear window opening. There is also duct tape at the rear window. It appears more like the tape is holding the edges of the vinyl top down until it gets properly glued in place.
The ebay listing shows no VIN # and owner says the car will probably need a new roof. I just love how these people who are selling these classics, use them as a storage facility with trash, misc car parts, scattered all over the interior or trunk area. This is a personal turn-off for me when considering a possible purchase. I can imagine what their home and property must look like when I see this.
Hood tach look just like one I ordered from JCWhitney and installed on my first car a 65 Plymouth sport fury along with ram charger hood scoops. LOL I was 14 and thought it was the coolest thing
They have another Cougar listed, what is with the crappy photos in all their listings?
Maybe they used the same professional photographer
in all the ads?
Just another eBay proof of IQ deficit.
This Cougar has the super unusual Convenience Control warning lights mounted in the console. I’ve never actually seen another with this option, but it is shown in the owners manual.
Does the power drill come with the deal?
Woofer: You forgot the Lucas lights that were part of the Gurney package, I believe. The compass is visible in pic 5or 6 of the e-Bay ad, looks to be the genuine Rotunda item. In pic 6, is that a genuine Shelby jacket on the floor? Could this be a European delivery vehicle? See the French oval (and luggage rack) on the trunk? Hadn’t de Gaulle kicked NATO out of France by ’67? Headrests were used by some respectable companies, but still look like J.C. Whitney. AM/FM radio, remote mirror, and factory a/c, but that roof is scary (look around the back window). Looks like he has the cover over the cowl vent and tape around the windshield, so that means lots of prior water penetration, so the floors are probably gone, too. Lots of nice goodies, but major, major rebuild necessary it appears!
Even if the car was an export vehicle it would not have left the factory with the Shelby and/or XR-7G parts on it. The luggage rack was a US option.