In the world of classic American cars, my favorites have always been pony cars. To me, they are what a BMW 6 series or Mercedes 560SEC is: a Grand Touring car offering high performance along with the luxuries of a dedicated sports car. The older I get, the more I find myself gravitating more towards GT cars than sports cars. The comfort factor is part of the reason, but I also love the designs. In the world of 1960s pony cars, the Mercury Cougar—especially with the XR-7 trim level—is, in my opinion, the model that best epitomizes the idea of a European GT car made in the USA. My Pick of the Day is one of these cars, a second-year 1968 Mercury Cougar XR-7 offered on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Roseville, California.
The Cougar XR-7 added full instrumentation, an overhead console, nicer interior materials, and wood-grain dash. In my eyes, this is the American car that best delivers that performance and luxury critical to every true GT car.
To be honest, this listing is not one of the better ones I have seen on our site. The description is only a few sentences long and contains only the most basic information, plus the photos are pretty low resolution. That being said, sometimes listings like these can contain a bargain—and this could be one of them.
The description states that this 1968 Cougar is equipped with a 302ci V8, as it should be. Looking carefully at the photos, it appears it is the stock 302 with a two-barrel carb; a nice detail to know. This Cougar is also equipped with an automatic transmission. Some of you will tell me it would be better with a manual gearbox but, with a GT car with a 302 under the hood, I feel the automatic is fine. Other options per the listing include power steering and power front disc brakes.
The seller also adds that the car is finished in Ruby Red paint that’s in very good condition. Ruby Red was not a factory color for a Cougar when new, but it looks good on this example, especially since it doesn’t have the vinyl top that most Cougars have. This car also has a black interior with bucket seats that look to be the correct leather and in the correct pattern (yes, you heard me right: the 1968 Cougar XR-7 came with leather seats, something you will never see on a 1968 Mustang options list). This car also features the cool center console that features a clock and timer—a detail I have always loved. I also love the toggle switches in the center of the dash, which add a bit of a jet-age look to the controls.
Under the hood is the Ford 302ci small-block. I don’t have a clue if this is a matching-numbers engine to this car, but the air cleaner looks correct; the only change I see from stock are the finned aluminum valve covers, which actually dress the engine up nicely. When new, this engine had 210hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Again, I am guessing that this engine is stock but, because there are so many modifications that can be done to a Ford 302 V8, I would ask the seller for more info.
Although this is not the best listing on our site, if you dig, you can often find out more about a car by carefully looking at the photos. For example, it appears that the super-cool flip-up headlight doors on this Cougar function properly.
I would definitely reach out to the seller for more information because he probably has a lot more details that are not disclosed in the listing. Ask questions like whether it has a matching-numbers engine, if the interior is in fact leather-trimmed (as it should be), and if any modifications have been performed. It could be well worth the effort because this car with an asking price of only $26,995 looks to be an excellent value. A 1968 Mustang in comparable condition is likely to cost at least $5,000 more, which makes the more nicely appointed and cooler-looking Cougar one of those pony car bargains. Why not reach out to the seller and see if you can make a deal?
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
