Has Cougar done something for an encore? You’d better believe it. Virtually everything is new for 1969, from skin side to inside. The Cougar convertible is unmistakably new, but then so is nearly everything else. There’s bold new styling, sinewy and more fluid with a European flair. From bold new grille to wraparound rear bumper the car looks quicker, sleeker. Longer by more than three inches, wider by more than two. More room for you and friends, more room for your luggage. Even the fuel tank is roomier to add reach to Cougar’s stride. There’s new pounce under the hood: a twin venturi 351-cubic inch V-8 is standard, and power options climb all the way to a CJ 428 Ram. And there are other exciting new options and cockpit designs to help you custom breed your Cougar to your kind of driving.
About the only things not new are features that make Cougar the best equipped car in its class: hideaway headlamps . . . sequential rear turn signals . . . full compartment carpeting . . . bucket seats . . . floor mounted shift. So stalk these pages carefully. Whether you choose the standard Cougar or XR-7, the hardtop or convertible, you’ll make the scene with the most exciting g-r-r-r in town . . . Cougar for 1969!
If you’re destined for the sports car life, let Cougar lead the way. In this the third year of the cat (top cat, that is) more and more people will find themselves on the brink of becoming a buff. And that’s because, for 1969, the Continental-makers asked themselves, How can we make a better Cougar?. And came up with the answer in the form of Cougars that are longer and stronger and sportier than ever. Take the basic Cougar for example (there’s a convertible in addition to the hardtop shown at left). Note the new ventless windows and how they add to the wide-open look, the racy curve of the side window glass, the dual full length paint stripes on the upper body sides, the tasteful use of brightwork. This is the right-now look of the U.S.A.’s foremost luxury/sports car, unique in its blend of European road car élan with American fine-car elegance. Cougar for 1969 . . . now more than ever, the top cat!
Standard Cougar features: Concealed headlamps . . . Sequential rear turn signals . . . Ventless side windows . . . Color-keyed nylon carpeting . . . Front bucket seats . . . 351-cubic inch 2V V-8 engine with fully synchronized 3-speed manual transmission . . . Curved glass side windows . . . All-vinyl interior . . . Heavy sound insulation package . . . Hi-capacity heater/defroster . . . Foam padded front armrests . . . Electric windshield wiper/washer system . . . Sideview mirror . . . Bright windshield and wheel-cut moldings . . . Rosewood-tone instrument panel inserts . . . Full complement of Ford Motor Company Lifeguard Design Safety Features.
If you’re taken by the lack of austerity in the XR-7 interior it’s entirely by design. From its very debut Cougar set a precedent for uncommon luxury and the heritage continues for 1969. The lavish use of supple leather-with-vinyl trim in seats, the rich warmth of simulated burled walnut on the instrument panel and steering Center pod rocker switches wheel, the authentic array of rocker switches and dials (even a tachometer and trip odometer) all contribute smartly to the hand-crafted elegance that sets XR-7 beautifully apart. There are amenities galore, among them door courtesy lights . . . rear seat armrests . . . door assist straps .. . electric clock with elapsed time indicator . . . center pod switches for panel lights, map light, courtesy lights and accessory . . . map pockets on the back of each front seat . . . perforated vinyl headlining . . . rich, wall-to-wall carpeting . . . leather-and-vinyl luxury seat trim with coved rear seat design (hardtop). And, if you choose, you may even add a new sports console as an option.
Cougar XR-7 and an enlightened interior Let’s face it; you’re going to be looked at in your XR-7 and you’re going to love it. It’s a romance that starts the moment you put your hands to the wheel and your toe to the throttle. On the outside a distinctive XR-7 insignia denotes this as the ultimate in luxury among sporty cars. The remote-control sideview racing mirror, bright upper body molding, sculptured side panels, bright-with-black accent curb molding and unique wheel covers with XR-7 emblem4all mark this a higher breed of Cougar. It’s yours in a choice of hardtop or convertible, each with buckets, floor-shift, concealed headlamps, taillamps that sequentially point the way you turn, and the hot new 351 V-8 as standard. The powered convertible top sports a tempered glass rear window that allows the top to be lowered whether the window is up or down. Among the host of options you can elect are a new Sports console, Traction-Lok differential, AM/FM stereo radio or Combination AM radio/stereo-sonic tape system, Whisper-Aire conditioner, Power windows, brakes and steering
Cougar with CJ 428 V-8, the high performance cat
This is the prowler breed of Cougar that leaves tracks of its own. And you can specify CJ 428 for any Cougar or XR-7 model. You’ll command the performance of a dressed up CJ 428-cubic inch 4-barrel V-8, teamed with four-speed stick or Select-Shift automatic transmission, dual pipes and competition handling setup. It delivers high torque through a 3.50:1 rear axle to wheels outfitted with E70 x 14 fiberglass-belted whitewalls. It can be recognized in passing by the power dome hood with color-keyed dual stripes signifying it as a CJ 428. For more growl you can go with the CJ 428 Ram. This affords increased power output by the injection of cooled air through the functional hood scoop. Racing stripes complete the picture of a cat with very sharp claws.
Options to sharpen your Cougar’s claws
- Traction-Lok differential with 3.25, 3.91 or 4.30 axle ratio
- Power brakes, Power steering
- Styled steel wheels
- Tinted glass
- Racing mirror (standard on XR-7)
- FR70 x 14 WSW tires
- Tilt-away steering wheel
- Select-Shift automatic transmission.
COUGAR ELIMINATOR…SPOILERS HOLD IT DOWN…NOTHING HOLDS IT BACK.
Eliminator is a hardcore high performer and offers hardware to match. Front and rear spoilers are a clue, and so are the racing mirrors, the blackout grille, the tough hood with its black scoop and stripe, the black wheels with hub caps and trim rings, the full-length Eliminator stripe. For proof positive there9s a four barrel 351 cubic inch V-8 under the hood (300 hp), a 3.25:1 rear axle, F70 x 14 belted traction tires, full competition suspension system with heavy-duty shocks and springs, and rear stabilizer bar. The cockpit is completely in character: hi-back bucket seats,- a full spread of instruments and switches (including 6000 rpm tachometer, oil pressure gauge, rally clock with sweep second hand and E.T. indicator) set in a field of black/ two-spoke steering wheel with pad-blow horn; and a visual check panel housing door-ajar and low-fuel signals. You can custom-breed your Cougar Eliminator with any number of high-performance options, from Styled Steel Wheels to Drag Pak, from a 4-speed gear box with Hurst Shifter® to the Detroit No-Spin Locker rear axle. V-8 engines? From Boss 302 to the CJ 428-4V with Ram Air induction. Ask your Mercury dealer for a complimentary copy of his special high-performance catalog.
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