Mercury Cougar (1967-1968)

1967 Mercury Cougar

Untamed elegance.. that’s Mercury Cougar. America’s first luxury sports car at a popular price. With a European flair and thrust to its styling. With generous room and a full rear seat. Handles and tracks beautifully. Rides smoothly and surely on rear springs nearly five feet long. With extras that are standard like a big 289 cu, in. V-8, headlamps concealed behind a gleaming die-cast grille, triple taillights in a design that echoes the grille and sequential turn signals that don’t just blink but point the way you are going. Options? All you could ask for to enhance performance, comfort, convenience and good looks. For example, 4-speed stick shift, Sports * Console (AM,AM/FM Radio or Combination AM radio / Stereo Sonic tape system required. Styled in whisper air conditioner, Oxford roof steel styled steel wheels. Speed control with speed set button on the turn signal level. And much more Mercury cougar is a car of today.

The luxury and excitement you might expect from an expensive European import comes with Mercury Cougar: walnut-grained steering wheel, full rear seat, stick shift, safety padding throughout including dash, steering wheel hub and horn bars. All-vinyl bucket seats with all-foam seat cushions are standard in black, red, blue, parchment, ivy gold, saddle or aqua, Comfort-Weave breathable vinyl (for buckets only) is optional. A full width front seat with center armrest is also available as an option,

Cougar GT

If you’re the kind of man who likes the sizzle of GT  performance, the Mercury Cougar has just the package for you. The optional Cougar GT Performance Group includes: Marauder 390 GT V-8 (320 hp) with 4-barrel carburetor and 10.5:1 compression ratio, power booster fan, dual exhaust system, low-restriction air filter, power front disc brakes, Wide Oval nylon-cord white sidewall tires, special wheels with 6″ rims for greater stability, GT ornament on fender and a performance handling package with stiffer front and rear springs, heavy-duty shock absorbers, larger diameter front torsional stabilizer bar and faster acting steering. It’s a full complement of high-performance equipment for those who want the ultimate in a luxury sports car.

 

1968 Mercury Cougar

The 1968 Mercury Cougar was the second model year of the first-generation Cougar (1967–1970). It carried over the basic styling and features introduced in ’67, but with refinements and new performance options that helped solidify its place between the Ford Mustang and more upscale pony cars like the Pontiac Firebird.

Models / Trims

• Cougar Standard – entry-level luxury/sport mix.
• Cougar XR-7 – added leather seating, wood-grain interior, full instrumentation, and upscale touches.
• Cougar GT – performance upgrade with heavy-duty suspension and larger engines.
• Cougar GT-E – high-performance limited edition, available only in 1968, with some of the largest engines offered in any pony car at the time.
• Cougar GTE 7.0 – rare beast with a 427 V8 (later some with 428 Cobra Jet).
• Dan Gurney Special – appearance package honoring the Cougar’s success in SCCA Trans-Am racing with driver Dan Gurney.

Engines

• 289 cu in V8 (base)
• 302 cu in V8 (new for ’68, replaced 289 mid-year)
• 390 cu in V8
• 428 Cobra Jet V8 (introduced April 1968, very powerful and desirable)
• 427 cu in V8 (GT-E only, very rare)

1968 Cougar Production Totals

• Total Cougars built: 113,741

By Model

• Cougar Standard Hardtop – 81,014
• Cougar XR-7 Hardtop – 27,221
• Cougar XR-7-G (special Shelby-style trim package, very rare) – 619
• Cougar GT-E – 394
  • Most with the 427 V8 (early 1968).
  • About 37 built with the 428 Cobra Jet after the 427 was discontinued mid-year.

Special Packages

• Dan Gurney Special – about 12,476 (appearance/trim option).
• XR-7-G – mentioned above (619).
• 428 Cobra Jet option – introduced mid-year, exact figure not published but estimated at several hundred cars (mostly XR-7s).

Notes

• 1968 was hardtop-only — no convertible until 1969.
• The GT-E 427 is one of the rarest Cougars ever built and highly collectible.
• The XR-7-G, tied to Shelby American and featuring unique styling touches (fog lights, sunroof option, leather dash, etc.), is another ultra-rare model.