After the great success of the Ford Mustang in 1964, ford motor company It certainly went well. The obvious success and revenue that Mustang his pony car brought to Ford justified the brand’s efforts to draw attention to Mercury as well. In the entry-level luxury sector, Mercury’s cars were mostly his two-door coupes. Ford had his best-selling two-door pony on the market in a Mustang, so he decided to recreate the formula in his 1967 Mercury Cougar.
Despite sharing the same foundation, the Mercury Cougar was very different from the Ford Mustang. The Cougar was not a beefy muscle car like the Mustang, but a sleek and classy two-door his coupe that gave the big German rivals a headache at the time. The more classy and sophisticated Mercury Cougar has rightly earned his own fan base. It also had plenty of high-end features to brag about, and was clearly above the Mustang when it came to the price tag. Here are 10 reasons why his 1967 Mercury Cougar, one of the greatest cars in American automotive history, remains one of his coolest pony cars ever.
10/10 1967 Mercury Cougar comes with its own style
The Mercury Cougar is based on the Ford Mustang, but Ford decided to give the new pony car its own visual language to set it apart from the Stang.
The 1967 Mercury Cougar’s sleek, sporty design set it apart not only from the Mustang, but also from other ponies of the time. The car had hidden headlights that were arguably the USP, with long flowing lines giving it a sleek look.
9/10 Ford offered a wider range of engines in the 1967 Mercury Cougar
Ford offered many engine options on the Mustang, but Mercury took the ’67 Cougar to the next level with more engine options. Unlike the Mustang, the Cougar came standard with a V8 and was a 4.7-liter unit producing 200 horsepower.
There was also a 4-barrel unit producing 225 horsepower and an optional 6.4-liter Marauder V8 engine producing a staggering 320 horsepower. Mercury His Cougar was equipped with a total of seven different engines of his, allowing customers to equip their Cougar with the power mill of their choice.
8/10 The Mercury Cougar featured a luxurious cabin to impress its occupants
Launched in 1967, the Cougar was launched as a far more luxurious car than the Mustang. The car was equipped with plush bucket seats, a center console and a tactile padded dashboard. These fancy equipments allowed Mercury his Cougar to lock the heads of modern luxury rivals.
The ’67 Cougar’s premium interior layout also featured a vinyl option, featuring a well-stacked dashboard. The longer chassis (compared to the Mustang) also helped the Cougar have more room, and his three-spoke deep wooden steering wheel was also a nice touch.
7/10 The 1967 Mercury Cougar had a very smooth and refined ride
Mercury designed the Cougar Pony Car in 1967 to be a comfortable and luxurious ride. Designed with sporty suspension and responsive steering, the Cougar was an absolute pleasure to drive and handle.
Mercury also paid close attention to the construction of the ’67 Cougar, proving it to be a reliable and long-lasting vehicle. 1967 Mercury His Cougar’s sleek, comfortable ride made this car a luxury ride, and could also go through hell when the need arose.
6/10 Ford spoiled customer choice with several body styles for the ’67 Mercury Cougar
Versatility was another strength of the 1967 Mercury Cougar. Mercury offered a variety of body styles for the Cougar, including hardtop, convertible and fastback designs.
Drivers can choose the body style that best suits their needs and preferences, while maintaining a premium and premium feel across all body types.
5/10 The 1967 Mercury Cougar has a lot to brag about
The 1967 Mercury Cougar was one of the first pony cars to feature features such as power windows and a power driver’s seat to appeal to customers in the luxury segment. Even on the exterior, the Cougar featured sequential tail lights and super cool hidden headlights.
Another great feature of the ’67 Cougar was the sports console between the seats and the tilt-away steering wheel, AM radio/stereo sonic tape deck unit. The inclusion of these features ensured that the rest of the competition could keep up with Cougar’s feature list.
4/10 The 1967 Mercury Cougar is a fantastic and historic collectible car
The 1967 Cougar is certainly a bit of a rarity on the streets today, especially compared to the hundreds of thousands of Mustangs sold. This also makes it a rare and highly sought-after collector’s item today.
This has made the Cougar arguably the coolest classic it is today and has a strong following among aficionados and collectors.A frequent feature at classic car shows and auctions, the 1967 Mercury Cougar is our driveway. It is one of the cars that I would like to ride in.
3/10 ’67 Mercury Cougar Still Has Strong Aftermarket Presence
We love the aftermarket presence with the 1967 Mercury Cougar still at the helm. Even today, a wide variety of parts and accessories are readily available to restore, modify and customize this iconic classic.
In fact, a number of companies specialize in producing parts specifically for the 1967 Cougar, including body panel reproductions, suspension components, and engine parts. There are also a huge number of online forums for owners to meet and discuss modifying their Mercury Cougar.
2/10 The Mercury Cougar maintains a strong presence throughout popular culture
Throughout popular culture, the original Mercury Cougar remains a very popular vehicle. The iconic pony car from the 1990 film desperate timeQuentin Tarantino’s 1996 horror film, from dusk till dawn.
The ’67 Cougar also had a feature About Her Majesty’s Secret Serviceturned George Lazenby into none other than the iconic secret spy, James Bond.
1/10 The iconic front grille design of the 1967 Mercury Cougar still stands out today
There’s no denying that the most spectacular feature of the 1967 Mercury Cougar is its sliding front grille design. The vertical front grille gave the car a unique neo-retro feel that still attracts attention.
The unique front grille actually slides upwards to reveal when you need to use the headlamps. Even today, it’s a nifty feature that I never tire of.
Source: Ford, Haggerty