Mercury Cougar buyer's guide

Overview

The Cougar (1967–73 in this, its classic span) was Mercury's pony car: the Mustang's platform in a longer, more luxurious suit, with sequential tail lamps, hidden headlights and a European GT brief that won it Motor Trend's Car of the Year for 1967. The classic Cougar divides into the first generation (1967–68, the purest), the second (1969–70, with the Eliminator as its muscle flagship and a convertible joining the range), and the big third (1971–73, on the Torino-format platform), after which the Cougar moved upmarket and its muscle story ended. The XR-7 is the luxury specification throughout; the GT, the Eliminator and the big-block cars are the performance line, and the Marti Report settles every specification question definitively.

Generations and year breaks

1967–1968 — the first Cougar

• Hardtop only, the 289 (then 302) as the base, the 390 GT as the performance option; the XR-7 added the leather, woodgrain and full-gauge luxury interior.
• The XR7-G (1968) — the Hertz/Dan Gurney special with its sunroof and Gurney touches — and the GT-E (1968, the 427 then the 428 CJ) are the documented rarities; the GT-E's 427 is a forensic-grade car.
• The Dan Gurney Special package (chrome and handling dress-up) is the commoner special.

1969–1970 — the Eliminator years

• A restyle, the convertible's arrival, and the Eliminator — Mercury's Trans-Am-era muscle package with the 351W/351C, the Boss 302 (1969–70, a handful) and the 428 CJ, in the famous Competition colours.
• The Boss 302 Eliminator is the rarest of the classic Cougars; every performance claim in this generation is a Marti Report question.
• The XR-7 convertible is the luxury cruiser of the range.

1971–1973 — the big Cougar

• The Cougar grew onto the intermediate platform: bigger, softer, the 351 Cleveland the main performance engine (the 429 was the 1971 option), the GT and XR-7 trims carrying on.
• A 1971 429 XR-7 convertible is the last of the muscle Cougars and a documented rarity; the '73 was the last convertible Ford built for a decade.

Engines and options that matter

• 289/302/351W — the small-block ladder; a 351 XR-7 is the classic cruiser specification.
• 390/428 CJ — the big-block performance cars; the 428 CJ Eliminator is the mainstream muscle pick, verified by Marti.
• 427 (GT-E, 1968) and Boss 302 (Eliminator) — the summit cars; paperwork is the purchase.
• 351 Cleveland (1970–73) — the strong late engine; the 2V/4V distinction matters to both pace and price.
• Hidden headlights and the sequential tail lamps are Cougar identity — both systems must work (the sequencer is a known, fixable unit).

What to check before buying

• Marti Report first. Kevin Marti's Ford production records cover every Cougar; GT-E, Eliminator, Boss 302 and GT claims are all settled by the report. No exceptions at these premiums.
• Rust: Mustang-shared floors and torque boxes, plus the Cougar's own rear quarters, the boot floor and the convertible's structure; the longer rear overhang hides rot at the valance and lamp panel.
• Vacuum systems: the headlight doors and (on XR-7s) the tilt-away steering column are vacuum-operated theatre; test everything.
• Numbers: the VIN (dash plate, driver's side) decodes year, plant, body and engine; the door data plate adds the specification the Marti report confirms.
• Eliminator specifics: the package's stripes, spoilers, scoop and interior are all codified; the Boss 302 engine's identity is its casting set and the car's paper.
• Parts: Mustang-shared mechanicals are easy; Cougar-specific trim, grilles, lamp assemblies and XR-7 interior pieces are the hunts, with the '67–68 cars the best served.