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Mercury Cougar
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Originally an upmarket Ford Mustang for the LincolnMercury 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 (with the addition of a sedan and, for one model year, a wagon), and a further downsizing for 1980 meant the nameplate was now on the once-“compact” Fox one (with a 1981–2 sedan and a 1982 wagon appearing). 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.



Marque: Mercury | Predecessor: Mercury Montego (1972–6) | Successor: Mercury Marquis (1983–6)

 

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