Big Cat Project: 1975 Mercury Cougar XR-7
The Mercury Cougar debuted in 1967 as FOMOCO’s second entry in the emerging “pony car” market. But with the redesign in 1974, the auto was repositioned as a rather larger personal luxury car, leaving its roots in the rearview mirror. This ’75 Cougar wears XR-7 trim (they all did) and seems to reside outdoors but looks good overall. However, it’s in non-running condition with no mention of what the issues may be. Located in Newark, Delaware, this Merc is available here on craigslist for $4,300. Hats off to Mitchell G. for yet another interesting tip!
Cougar’s third generation from 1974 to 1976 was more like a Ford Thunderbird than a Mustang. It now employed the platform used by the Mercury Montego and Ford Elite. Some changes were inevitable as the Mustang itself was radically new in 1974, shrinking to a subcompact the size of the Ford Pinto. While sales would grow from 1971-73 levels, the 3rd-gen Cougars would sell in smaller numbers than the original 1967-69 models. They were now big cars rolling on 114-inch wheelbases.
The seller’s Cougar has a non-running 351 cubic inch V8 which would have been standard. But buyers could have opted for 400 and 460 engines (the latter of which propelled Lincolns in the day). All Cougars had opera windows to differentiate their appearance from their Ford/Mercury cousins. Vinyl tops were now routine fare and the one on the seller’s car has been removed. Nearly 63,000 Cougars were built in 1975, down from 1974 by a third (aftermath of the OPEC oil embargo at work?).
No background information is provided about this ’75 Mercury. The body and paint look good, but the green machine may have been repainted when the vinyl roof was removed as the top now matches the rest of the car. The seller says the interior is fair and the photo provided seems to agree. These 351 V8s were popular engines, so if you can get this one running again, will this Cougar have you mounting a placard in your garage that signs “The Sign of the Cat”?
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Comments
Flush mount the front and rear “guardrails” Install a 5.0 Coyote or the new 7.3 Godzilla Ford engine and go have some fun. All your friends will be green with envy
A non running overpriced lump. 800.00 and off to the Enduro race. I know, I know, they don’t make them anymore. blah, blah, blah. To each his own but this thing is no mint original or even a nice running drivable unit but an old field unit left for dead because is likely was dead when stopped…enough
These are rare ones, for sure. I wonder what’s wrong with the 351? Locked up tight? Blown up? If so? Not worth the money, IMHO.
Priced too high. I’d rather have a T bird.
Would’ve loved to roll off the lot in 75′ 🕺 with a 460ci Cougar 🐆 XR7
Love the opera windows 🪟
Remember the term Opera window? That’s funny!
I would lose the 351 2b and stuff a 460 underneath the hood. Numbers matching isn’t important for this Cougar. Put the big motor in, get it running and drivable. Then enjoy it. I loved those 74-76 XR7’s. Our family friends had a 76 black on red with a moon roof. Under the hood? The mighty 460. That car was it.
Bloated, smog motor powered, chrome railroad tie bumpered, personal land yacht with a bench seat, and column shift. Green. Oh yeah- non running. What’s not to love? I won’t say “hard pass”, because that would imply prior consideration. GLWTS. I’d sell it too.
67-70 and then the later 80s Turbo Cougars and up for me. The 71 to 80s were awful and ugly. The Cougar wagon was by far the worst… Although I like station wagons, the Cougar should not have been demeaned in that manner!
I had this exact car in like 1982… Lt blue & dark blue cloth/velour(?) interior. Approximately the same condition as this one right here I bet except it ran of course. Pretty sure I paid less than $500 bucks for it – I’d buy one, drive it a while & sell it, sometimes for more, sometimes less, then get another one. I never counted, but I’m SURE I’ve had 200 cars. The 1980s & 90s was a time when it was feasible to do that. Now you’re in a different money league and disposable income just isn’t the same. Something like that. I just had to scrape together 8 grand for a 9 year-old Navigator with issues. Nope, not the same thing anymore.
Yeah, I’m thinking somebody was actively driving the car when it “stopped” for whatever reason – and it’s probably a bad/expensive reason and hence it’s sitting there and somebody is tryna cash in on it. It’ll sell for what people are currently paying for them. End of story.
PS I don’t see any rust on it guys…
Brother had one in the early 80s. White/White and the top green. Had a nice set of chrome wire rims. He keep that thing super clean…was a nice car then….to me at 8 years old..lol
I test drove an Elite from the same era with a 400. Thought I would try a malaise era car to see what it was like. Mushy ride and mushy throttle response. Not my cup of tea. I’ll stick with my ’71 GM a-body with a 455.
This is the height of Malaise era malaise. It’s a 351, but not a Cleveland. West Coast Classic Cougar tried expanding their market to include these later Cougars, but found there was literally no market.
Put this out in the yard for a few months and I bet it will go into the crusher looking almost like it does now.
I say it’s worth whatever it crosses the yard scale at.