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Vehicle information: Mercury Cougar is the name applied to a diverse series of automobiles sold by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company from 1967 to 2002.

The introduction of the Cougar finally gave Mercury its own pony car. Slotted between the Ford Mustang and the Ford Thunderbird, the Cougar would be the performance icon and eventually the icon for the Mercury name for several decades. The Cougar was available in two models (base and XR-7) and only came in one body style (a two-door hardtop). Engine choices ranged from the 200 hp (149 kW) 289 in³ two-barrel V8 to the 335 hp (250 kW) 390 in³ four-barrel V8. A notable performance package called the GT was available on both the base and XR-7 Cougars. This included the 390 in³ V8, as well as a performance handling package and other performance enhancements.

The 1967 Cougar, with the internal code T-7, went on sale September 30, 1966.  It was based on the 1967 refaced first-generation Mustang, but with a 3-inch-longer (76 mm) wheelbase and new sheet metal. A full-width divided grille with hidden headlamps and vertical bars defined the front fascia—it was sometimes called the electric shaver grille. At the rear, a similar treatment saw the license plate surrounded on both sides with vertically slatted grille-work concealing taillights (with sequential turn signals), a styling touch taken from the Thunderbird. A deliberate effort was made to give the car a more “European” flavor than the Mustang, at least to American buyers’ eyes. Aside from the base model and the luxurious XR-7, only one performance package was available for either model: the sporty GT. The XR-7 model brought a simulated wood-grained dashboard with a full set of black-faced competition instruments and toggle switches, an overhead console, a T-type center automatic transmission shifter (if equipped with the optional Merc-O-Matic transmission), and leather/vinyl upholstery.

The GT package, meanwhile, supplied a much larger engine, Ford’s 390-in³ (6.4 L) FE-series big block to replace the small-block 289-in³ (4.7 L) standard power plant. Along with this came an upgraded suspension to handle the extra weight of the big engine and give better handling, more powerful brakes, better tires and a low-restriction exhaust system. Introduced with the music of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass’ The Work Song, the Cougar was a sales success from its introduction and helped the Lincoln-Mercury Division’s 1967 sales figures substantially. The Cougar was Motor Trend magazine’s Car of the Year for 1967.