With the ongoing hype surrounding 1st Generation Mustangs and the continued increases in values with every passing day, it can be quite easy to overlook the Mercury Cougar as a viable alternative. A Cougar can offer comparable performance to an equivalent Mustang but in a package that feels a bit more luxurious. This 1968 Cougar deserves a closer look. It is a fantastic survivor with its original V8 under the hood. It isn’t perfect, but its most obvious flaw would be cheap and easy for the buyer to address. It is a turn-key classic located in North Port, Florida, and that the owner has listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has rocketed past the reserve and currently sits at $13,900.

There’s a lot to like about this Cougar, especially if you are the type of person who likes their classics to be understated. The car is finished in Polar White, and the impression that the owner makes is that the paint is original. If this is true, that makes its condition pretty impressive. No significant flaws or defects are visible in the supplied photos, while the panels are as straight as an arrow. The gaps are tight and consistent, and there’s no evidence of visible rust in any of the normally prone lower extremities like the rockers and rear quarter panels. The trim, including the grille and the covers for the concealed headlamps, seems to be in good condition. The tinted glass looks flawless, and while the Magnum 500 wheels are an aftermarket addition, they suit this classic’s character perfectly. If the buyer doesn’t like them, it appears that the original hubcaps are sitting in the trunk.

If the Cougar’s exterior looks impressive, the underside offers potential buyers more of the same. It appears that it has been undercoated at some point, allowing the car to remain rust-free. The buyer won’t need to break out the grinder and welder because there isn’t even a spot of surface corrosion to cause concern. Overall, this Mercury would seem to suit someone who doesn’t have the time or resources to tackle any restoration work.

The original owner ordered this Cougar with the interior trimmed in Ivy Gold vinyl, and most of the trim remains in good condition today. The slipcovers on the buckets conceal upholstery that has seen better days, and the seller recommends that the buyer source and install new covers. A quick search located a pair of covers in the correct color and pattern for $450. However, if the buyer is concerned about color consistency, a complete set of covers can be secured for around $600. The passenger door trim is slightly wrinkled, but I believe that this could be stretched into shape without the buyer needing to resort to replacement. That appears to be all this interior needs because the remaining upholstered surfaces and the headliner look pretty impressive, while the same is true of the dash, pad, and carpet. It is refreshing to note that nobody has messed with this interior to install aftermarket components. The original AM radio remains intact, and ice-cold air conditioning should make life on the road pretty pleasant.

This Cougar would seem to tick a few of the right boxes for a buyer searching for originality. Its engine bay is occupied by a C-Code 289ci V8 that would produce 200hp. The original owner also chose to add a 3-speed automatic transmission and power steering to the equation. The seller claims that the Cougar is a numbers-matching classic, and once again, it appears that there is little for the buyer to do but slip behind the wheel and revel in the classic car ownership experience. The owner supplies this YouTube video that provides a walkaround and allows us to hear that little V8 running. There is no evidence of odd noises and no signs of smoke. It runs smoothly and cleanly, and it seems that this appearance is not deceptive. The owner says that this Mercury runs and drives perfectly, which means that the open road is beckoning for the buyer.

This 1968 Cougar is not the most potent version Mercury offered in that model year, but it is an extremely tidy survivor that needs little to be lifted to the next level. It is a turn-key proposition for people who aren’t in a position to tackle a full-blown restoration, and it seems to have sparked some interest since the owner listed it for sale. It attracted an impressive twenty-seven bids in its first eighteen hours on the market, and while the action has gone quiet, you would have to think that some of those people are biding their time to submit a last-minute bid. Would you be willing to join the action in the hope that you could be this Cougar’s next owner?