Gran Turismo is a style of car we often associate with Europe, but it’s a vehicle that Detroit has dabbled with on occasion. Plenty of cars today have a GT trim level, though it’s more about being a step up from the base vehicle or one that has sportier pretensions than being a true gran turismo. Our Pick of the Day is a car that I respectfully submit as being among the first American gran turismos of the muscle car era: the 1968 Mercury Cougar GT-E. It’s listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Click on this link to view the listing)
Of course, the Mustang carved itself a new market segment, but the Mercury Cougar answered the question whether Americans were interested in a premium pony car. Ford Motor Company was so ahead of the curve that the Cougar managed to make an appearance in the market just when the first of Mustang’s competitors were hitting the market.
The Cougar was available in one trim level initially but, mid-year, the XR-7 joined as a more luxurious, European-inspired Cougar. There wasn’t much that distinguished the XR-7 from the outside but, inside, you’d find leather- and vinyl-trimmed interior, simulated walnut dashboard with competition-type gauges, toggle switches, overhead console, Deluxe front and rear seatbelts (with reminder light), and Deluxe wheel covers.
A GT Performance Group option, available on both the base Cougar and XR-7, added a 320-horsepower 390, low-restriction air filter, chrome dress-up kit, low-restriction dual exhausts with resonators, special valence panel and exhaust tips, four-piston power front disc brakes, power clutch fan, Performance Handling package, and GT badges. The XR-7 GT can arguably make the claim that it was the most GT out of any American car of the time.
However, a more spectacular version of the GT appeared for 1968. Sure, the GT returned, similar to before, but a mid-year GT-E package upped the ante and gave enthusiasts something truly unique. Also available on base Cougar and XR-7 models, the GT-E took over where the GT left off with the following:
- 390-horsepower 427, with 428 Cobra Jet added in May 1968
- SelectShift Merc-O-Matic automatic transmission (joined by four-speed when 428 introduced)
- Super Competition Handling package
- Radial-ply FR70 X 14 tires
- Power steering
- Styled steel wheels
- Unique silver paint on the lower body
- Non-functional hood scoop
- Cobra Jets received a larger, functional black hood scoop with black stripe running to the nose
According to the Cougar GT-E Registry, 394 GT-Es were built. Of those, 279 were XR-7 GT-Es. Of those, only 23 were built with the 428 Cobra Jet engine, with 20 being backed by the automatic transmission (another 14 were built as base Cougars). That makes this 1968 Mercury Cougar GT-E quite a desirable rarity, if not a gran turismo with ample parts luxury and power. Painted Cardinal Red with a black interior, this Cougar also features a console, AM/FM stereo radio, and front seat headrests. Rear gears are 3.50 Traction-Lok differential, which is the perfect gear for GT aspirations.
“This particular Cougar XR-7 GT-E has been meticulously maintained, with a single owner for the past 37 years,” says the seller. “With 71,000 miles shown on the odometer, the car has been driven sparingly, ensuring that it remains in excellent condition both mechanically and cosmetically.” So, isn’t it time that American GTs are on equal parity with the Europeans? For $224,900, the seller thinks so.
Click here for this ClassicCars.com Pick of the Day.
