There seems to be a misconception that the Mercury Cougar was a luxury variant of the Ford Mustang, but that is not quite true. Take a look at the interior of a 1967 Cougar and it’s clearly not a luxury pony car. However, the Cougar would eventually turn into a personal luxury vehicle. Our Pick of the Day shows the evolution of this transformation while also playing another role. This 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 convertible is currently listed on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Milford, Michigan.
Some may say, “But what about the XR-7?” Yes, Mercury added leather and wooden touches to the interior, but it could be argued that the interior invoked more of a European GT flavor than anything else. Could that be considered luxury? Maybe, but it still doesn’t make the Cougar a luxurious variant of the Mustang—not compared to the luxury available in a Lincoln.
The Cougar’s first restyle for 1969 was the first step in that direction. The wheelbase continued to be a generous 111 inches, but length grew by 3.5 inches and width by more than two. A sweeping, sculpted body crease similar to that on some Buicks certainly imparted a more upscale image. Inside, even the standard Cougar received an upgrade in appointments. And the XR-7? It continued to be furnished with “supple vinyl upholstery, accented by touches of genuine leather” with the effect now being more luxurious than GT, though Mercury continued to tout the “sports car mystique” with “European style and flair.” Each Cougar model continued to offer standard bucket seats, a floor shifter, concealed headlamps, sequential taillamps, and a standard V8. New on the roster was a convertible, available on the both standard and XR-7 Cougars.
Engines were a mixture of old and new. New was the 351 Windsor; one with 250 horsepower and a two-barrel carburetor was the standard engine for all Cougars. Opt for the four-barrel and horsepower jumped to 290. The importance of this engine cannot be understated because the competition offered several mid-300ci engines, which Ford’s engine portfolio failed to meet toe-to-toe until 1969.
Making a return for the last time was the 390, now rated at 320 horsepower. The top option for the Cougar was the 428 Cobra Jet, which was available with or without ram air induction; when the former was ordered, you received a hood scoop and stripes on the hood. Add the Drag Pak and you’d receive upgraded engine components, an external oil cooler, and 3.91 or 4.30 gears.
By 1972, the second year of the Cougar’s third generation, the XR-7 began to outsell the base model, completing the Cougar’s evolution from upscale pony car to personal luxury coupe and convertible. This Red 1969 Cougar XR-7 convertible plays double duty in another manner: Yes, it has the upscale appointments, but it also has upscale power thanks to an “R-code” 428 Cobra Jet with ram air. Only 96 R-codes were built with an automatic transmission—check out the list of options on the Marti Report: Traction-Lok differential with 3.25 gears, a collapsible spare tire, whitewall F70 x 14 Wide Ovals, power windows, a console, power front disc brakes, power steering with tilt-away feature, hood pins, power ventilation, an AM/FM stereo, Styled Steel wheels, a white power convertible top, and Deluxe seat belts. Retail price was almost $5,100 new. The original buyer worked for Ford so (s)he took advantage of company perks to spec out this vehicle.
LED headlamps and taillights are one update. Air conditioning is another. A third is the white interior with red components, as the original seating material was Dark Red vinyl and leather. None detract from the essence of this vehicle, which is perhaps the most luxurious muscle car out there. Rather than shop for both a classic Lincoln and a Mustang, you can get everything both cars offer in one vehicle for $115,000.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
