Mercury Cougar

Originally an upmarket Ford Mustang for the Lincoln–Mercury Division, with a longer wheelbase and plusher equipment. Came to be the hero car for Mercury and symbolized the entire brand. However, by 1974, Cougar was an overweight personal–luxury car, a counterpart of the larger Ford Thunderbird. Downsizing for 1977 saw Cougar shifted to the Torino platform, and a further downsizing for 1980 meant the nameplate was now on the once-“compact” Fox one. The aero look for the Thunderbird in 1983 had a parallel with Cougar, though it had an odd, upright formal C-pillar, perhaps to fight rivals such as the Buick Regal. Cougar remained a formal T’bird until 1997, when the nameplate was briefly retired, to return in 1999 as a coupé version of the Ford Mondeo variants. This was the only time the Mercury Cougar was sold also as a Ford (in Europe), but Ford’s troubles saw to the end of the model line in 2002.

• Mercury Cougar (1967–8)
• Mercury Cougar (1969–70)
• Mercury Cougar (1971–3)
• Mercury Cougar (1974–6)
• Mercury Cougar (1977–9)
• Mercury Cougar (1980–2)
• Mercury Cougar (1983–8)
• Mercury Cougar (1989–97)
• Mercury Cougar (1999–2002)

Marque: Mercury