There is a reason why Mercury is still dominating new car sales while it competitors struggle to find footing in a modern world with complex offerings and market dynamics. It is because Mercury product planners knew that customers wanted a zinc yellow performance version of the Cougar. If only Toyota had hired those product planners, […]
In 1983 Mercury introduced the sixth generation of their Cougar, which was at one point in time a restyled and Mercuried version of the Ford Mustang. Actually, by the mid 1980s, it might have lived on the Mustang’s Fox platform, but it was much closer in size and equipment to the Ford Thunderbird or Lincoln Continental. Today’s example is offered with an odometer that has only 23k miles on the 5-digit display, but it does have more road crust that you’d like to see in a low mile classic. Find this 1985 Mercury Cougar offered for $7,950 in Stanley, WI via Hemmings.
The Mercury Cougar started out way back in 1967 as an up-market version of the Ford Mustang. For its first two generations the Cougar was based on the Mustang, but then in 1974 it changed to a big Torino intermediate platform where it was a counterpart to the similarly plus sized Thunderbird. In 1980 the Cougar was switched to the compact Fox platform where it was a counterpart to the Thunderbird and Granada, but in 1989 it was switched to the MN12 platform where it got things the Fox didn’t have, like an independent rear suspension and available supercharged powertrains. A few years later the Cougar name was put on a front-wheel-drive thing that was based on the European Ford Mondeo, but we don’t want to talk about that. Find this 1989 Mercury Cougar XR7 offered for $12,000 in Merrimac, MA via craigslist. Tip from Cory.
Roush Performance was launched in 1995 as a way for NASCAR legend Jack “Panama Hat” Roush to provide power to the people. Roush Performance got a reputation for making fast ‘n’ loud Mustangs, but they also dabbled in other Fords like the Focus and F-150…but for two years in the early millennium, they built about […]
The first generation Mercury Cougar was a bit more than just an up-market Mustang coupe. It offered a few unique accouterments that were not available on the Mustang (such as pop-up hidden headlights) AND it was only available with V8 power (no wimpy inline-6s for the Cougar). As an additional hidden bonus, today’s Cougar is […]
I hate the idea of buying a 70s land barge American car and then putting a bunch of time/money into restoring it…because they drive terribly can look odd…but getting a 70s land barge that looks awesome AND is in fantastic shape has serious appeal. Let’s just hope the reserve on this “Midnight Chamois” (whatever that […]
The legend of the Shelby Mustang GT350-H Hertz race ready rental cars is an old campfire story among car guys, but a little known fact is that there were a few hundred Mercury Cougar XR7-G (G for Gurney…as in Dan Gurney) rental ready racers built alongside the Shelby Mustangs. This next example is a complete […]
Wrapping up our celebration of the first 5 cars posted to Daily Turismo, coming in at number 5 is the Mercury Cougar XR7 (Now read that again in your best Casey Kasem voice). Find this 1967 Mercury Cougar XR7 for sale in New Haven, CT for $18,000 via craigslist. This post is part of DT’s 5th Birthday Celebration. 5 years ago […]
The 30th anniversary gift for a wife is supposed to be diamonds or pearls, but I think that is a total load of DeBeers funded hooey — and anybody who really loves (and is still married to) his cougar after three decades would get her a Mercury. Find this 1997 Mercury Cougar XR7 offered for $1,750 […]
You all know about Dan Gurney and his magical year of 1967. If not, here’s the short form replay: Dan won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a GT40 with A.J. Foyt (and started the tradition of spraying Campaign in the winners circle) and a week later won the Belgian Grand Prix in an […]