Mercury Cougar
When the Ford Motor Company introduced the Mustang in 1964, it became a global hit. It even started a revolution among Detroit’s major players. Three years later, almost everybody had a pony car in their lineup. Chevrolet introduced the Camaro, Pontiac presented the Firebird and Mercury had their new Cougar.
Since Mercury was a luxury division of Ford Motor Company, it was obvious the Mustang and the Cougar would have much in common. But Mercury tried its best to hide their plebian roots, introducing a true luxury GT model.
They built the Cougar on the Mustang platform, but they made it a couple of inches longer to add comfort and achieve better ride quality. Also, the Mercury Cougar was available with V8 engines only, while they reserved the small six-cylinder units for entry-level Mustangs. The body panels were unique, as well as the front fascia with hidden headlights. In the interior, Mercury offered a wood-trimmed dash, leather seats and all kinds of creature comforts.
Some people say the Cougar was a luxury Mustang. But in fact, it was an independent model and a success on its own. However, until 1969, they didn’t offer convertibles, just coupes. So the ultimate version was the combination of muscle car power and luxury – the mighty Cougar XR-7. This model had a 390 V8 engine with 320 HP. Buyers could also opt for the GT package, which included a beefed-up suspension, and stronger brakes and steering.
The XR-7 was so popular, they made over 27,000 in 1967. But only little over 2,600 came with the GT package. Over the years, the Mercury Cougar sat in the shadow of the Mustang. But recently, the popularity has gone up for this classic luxury muscle car.