Bluetan Decor Option: 1978 Mercury Cougar XR7
Boy oh boy, I can hear those gold disco chains jangling with this 1978 Mercury Cougar rig. It features the Midnight/Chamois decor option, which the seller calls the “Bluetan” decor option. This is a full-tilt XR7 with a very low recorded mileage of only 36K miles. Located in Lakewood, Ohio, this baby’s documented with a Kevin Marti report so let’s pick this one apart and see what’s here.
Any way you cut it, this Cougar is a long way away from how Mercury’s pony car started in 1967. By ’77 the cat had actually become a “big cat” with both a four-door sedan and wait for it…a station wagon version. Still popular with a total ’78 production volume of 172K units, the Cougar’s only link to its origin was its name.
This Midnight/Chamois decor option came with either a dark blue exterior/tan vinyl top or the reverse, such as our subject car with a tan exterior and dark blue vinyl top. And being from the late ’70s it’s landau variety cap with oversized, fixed opera windows. Even the continental hump got the blue vinyl treatment! If I interpret the Marti report correctly, this Cougar should be one of 1,111 with this paint and trim combination. No doubt about it, this Merc is in excellent condition and it does make an ouvert visual statement. This is definitely one of those “matter of preference” kinds of cars…
Where things get wild is inside, it’s an explosion of tan and dark blue, heavily accented by tan vinyl vertical stripes that traverse the seat backs and bottoms. The entire environment is bright and clean – it well reflects this car’s low mileage. Of course, fake wood veneer is slathered about and the instrument panel does feature full instrumentation. Check out the factory radio – it includes an eight-track tape player. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, the A/C system is inoperative.
Ford V8 engines weren’t exactly known for power in this era and this Cougar’s 400 CI V8 engine is no exception as 166 net HP is all that it could muster. The seller adds, “The optional 400 engine provides plenty of torque…This car is a pleasure to drive. Runs and drives like new.” The torque output rating is 319 net pound feet – I can’t say if that’s robust or not, but weighing in with a curb weight of over 4,200 lbs., every additional pound, or, foot, would be appreciated. The standard engine in this hoss was a 134 net HP 302 CI V8 which I imagine was garden tractor slow.
I’m struggling a bit with who might be the target market for this XR7. The seller does mention, “It gets a lot of attention.” Yeah, I can see that, so perhaps an attention seeker? Naw, not that, I imagine it would probably be someone who appreciates the fallen flag marque known as Mercury. If you are of that genre and appreciate Mercs, or Cougars from this era, you’d have a tough time finding a cleaner example. Interested parties will find this big coupe here on eBay where it’s available for a current bid of only $2,800 with just three bids tendered so far.
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Comments
My Gawd that’s one ugly color combination. And those wheels…ugh! As if this year Cougar wasn’t already an embarrassment, I’m a Blue Oval guy through and through, but kick this one back to the curb.
I actually remember these growing up. They were always blue with the tan top. I don’t recall seeing one reversed like this. I guess now I understand why!
Meanwhile, I’ll admit I kind of like it. Not as a daily driver or anything like that, rather as a great example of the wild and crazy times, automotive-trim-wise, that it represents. Or maybe, as the exact opposite of today’s sea of black/gray/silver/white cars with black interiors. Jim’s “disco” reference fits well too.
The car looks to be in great shape. It has been loved for a long time.
As a teen of the 70’s a member of a Mercury household i thought these were amazing,even moreso today.It’s a stunning piece of malaise perfection(the 400 was sluggish off the line but at speed it was quite peppy with great passing ability and midrange acceleration)
This has to be without a doubt, the ugliest color any car manufacturer used ! On top of thst they used an orange interior. I don’t think Ford used it on their full size cars, but I saw a lot of Fairmonts ,Pintos and Cougars in this color. I could never understand who would have bought one
Beautiful car, but in a homely color and with an axle ratio that could bring a driver to tears unless they’re only using it on the highway.
This example certainly covered some ground – assembled in Lorain, shipped to Portland, and now back to the Cleveland area.
I love it, fix the A/C , get the HP to 250 if you can, and drive this car, I like different, this is different, the blue looks like Denim. Very nice looker.
Women love design.
Men loved the ride and comfy seats.
The 70’s were a changing time heading to the future , all of the Malaise era cars were about comfort or design . Not speed .
So those that spew hate on this car , I’d rather drive this than whatever is in your garage – because it’s different and it’s original.
Smile mfers 😊
@Doc.. Agree.. I was 28 then…. and was always a ”high options and trim” guy as opposed to the ”big engine and a 4 speed” guys…
The simple truth here is that most guys don’t have the ”stones”….. ( self confidence) to order a car in these colors… even back then…. The comments by obviously young people reflect that they lack an understanding of the ”malaise” era… There were some great looking and cruising cars that had wonky stuff on the engines to comply with government mandates for fuel economy and emissions. . It’s that simple…
@Doc.. Agree… I was 28 then and was a ”high options and trims” guy as opposed to the ”biggest engine and a 4 speed” guys… Very few guys have the ”stones”… (self confidence) to order a car in these trims… which hopefully made up for the bland performance… which resulted from the government mandated wonky gizmos added to the engine to get better mileage and less emissions.. There were some great cruisers then that suffered from reliability issues because of the wonky…….
The two-tone interior is unique to this option package and this color layout may not be, but the reverse – dark blue paint and tan vinyl top with a “regular” tan interior and usually a gold pinstripe – was featured on almost everything Fomoco made from a Mustang II Ghia to a Mark.
I think it was even offered on the Fiesta Ghia, minus the vinyl top (fun fact; there was no vinyl top in the US for the early Fiesta, not even as a Ford-approved dealer-installed accessory, but UK buyers could get one.)
Cougar went from this personal cruiser, a Mustang in an evening gown, to some old lady secretaries ride so gradually, we hardly noticed. Then there was the Cougar station wagon, further yet. Not to take anything away from the car itself, except tain’t no Cougar.
Still has an Ammeter, aren’t those dangerous? I think Ford stuck with those longer than GM
Gross color combo then, gross now. Love the 400 though.
I had a 77 XR-7 w/a 351 with all power options. It was my “poor man’s” Mark V. It was a great highway cruiser, ran on reg gas, and got good gas mileage.
The odd colors have helped this one to survive. Nobody wanted to drive it, so it has been parked a lot.
I like it.
I dont think has the true 400 Ford engine, more than likely its a 351m/400 engine , which was prone to oiling issues due to small oil returns on the heads.
Look at the Marti report. The “S” in the VIN = 400 CI V8 engine.
JO
I recall the reverse color combo and had forgotten about these. The interior is oddly attractive in a very seventies way. I miss seeing special editions and spring specials.
Mr. Furley approved!
https://www.tiktok.com/@3scmpny/video/7258315806897884458
My parents bought a 1977 Cougar new. It was solid blue, the color of this one’s vinyl top. I was 5 years old and I remember them having a lot of problems with it from the beginning. It was always at the repair shop. The chrome pitted faster than the 1965 Pontiac Catalina’s that they replaced it with. But they kept it until the early 90’s. I wound up tracking down the Catalina and am currently restoring it.