When did the Mercury Cougar pony car come out?
Even as the Ford Mustang was making its smashing debut in April 1964, Ford’s Lincoln-Mercury division began work on its own “pony car,” a stylish coupe that sought to bridge the gap between the Mustang and the Thunderbird. This week, we look at the history (and many incarnations) of the Mercury Cougar.
Who are the drivers of the Mercury Cougar?
Lincoln-Mercury hired stock car racer Bud Moore to run it, with drivers Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Dave Pearson, Ed Leslie, and Peter Revson. Beebe and Zimmerman made no secret of their intention to use Trans Am as a way to aggressively market the Cougar. Racing legend Dan Gurney, seen here at the Nürburgring in 1965.
What kind of engine did the Mercury Cougar have?
As with the contemporary Mustang, the Cougar’s performance depended heavily on what engine was ordered. The basic 289 (4,728 cc) engine had either 200 or 225 hp (149 or 168 kW). It was replaced in 1968 by the 302 (4,942 cc), shown here, with either 210 or 230 hp (157 or 172 kW),…
What was the price of a Mercury Cougar in 1970?
In 1970, an XR-7 hardtop like this one had a base price of $3,413, $299 more than a base Cougar hardtop and $692 more than a six-cylinder Mustang hardtop. With a full load of options, it was possible to spend over $5,000 on a Cougar, a lot of money at the time.
Is the Mercury Cougar the same as the Ford Cougars?
Sold only under the Mercury brand, this generation is the only version of the Cougar with no direct Ford counterpart (though export examples were badged as Ford Cougars). The introduction of the Cougar finally gave Mercury its own ” pony car “.
When did the Ford Cougar replace the mercury probe?
In 1998, Ford launched the Cougar at the 1998 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Without the Mercury brand in Europe and Australia, Ford marketed the Cougar as the Ford Cougar through Ford of Europe and Ford of Australia from 1999 to 2002. Replacing the Ford Probe in European markets,…
What kind of dashboard did a Mercury Cougar have?
The XR-7 model brought a simulated wood-grained dashboard with a full set of black-faced competition instruments and toggle switches, an overhead console, a T-type center automatic transmission shifter (if equipped with the optional Merc-O-Matic transmission), and leather-vinyl upholstery. This was the only generation with covered headlights.
What kind of climate control does a Mercury Cougar have?
The Cougar was offered with nearly every Mercury option with the sole exception of automatic climate control and power windows; a “Tilt-Away” steering wheel was offered, a power-operated steering column that swung up and out of the way when the driver’s door was opened, the transmission in “park”, and the ignition was off.