When it comes to pony cars, small-blocks were the name of the game. When the pressure was on to offer more performance, big-blocks were introduced. Within those two scenarios, Ford Motor Company offered a big-block two-barrel for only one model year. Our Pick of the Day is one of these unusual cars: a 1968 Mercury Cougar XR-7. It is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.
The 390 V8 was introduced for the Ford Mustang in 1967, the first year of its new generation. The 390 was rated at 320 horsepower, which was much more than previous top offerings. The same 390 was also available for the all-new Mercury Cougar, the market’s first attempt at a more upscale pony car. Don’t confuse “upscale” with “luxury” because the 1967 Cougar was not luxurious at all, but its standard appointments were certainly a step up from the standard Mustang’s. Add deluxe features like hidden headlights, sequential taillights, and a standard V8, and it was clear the Cougar offered distinction.
In January 1967, Mercury announced the introduction of a “luxury interior model” called the XR-7. It featured a “walnut finish instrument panel, glove-soft leather, and vinyl trim upholstery,” according to newspaper articles of the time, plus “full European touring car instrumentation,” an overhead console, toggle switches, C-pillar interior courtesy lights, map pockets, door assist straps, and seven die-cast chevrons on the rocker panels.
“This is the car for the man who admires the understated elegance and refinement of the most expensive foreign cars yet wishes to retain the American standard of spaciousness, convenience features, and ease of operation,” said E.F. Gar Laux, Mercury’s general manager. “The Mercury Cougar XR-7 offers all these qualities—and at a price far below the figure most customers would guess. In short, it is the car for the man who aspires to be an Aston-Martin, but doesn’t have James Bond’s pocketbook.” At that time, the Cougar was already the number-three pony car in the market, overshadowed by only the Mustang and Chevrolet’s new Camaro.
Both Cougar models returned for 1968. For performance fans, the 427 was introduced with the GT-E package, to be succeeded by the 428 Cobra Jet in April (and available on non-GT-E cars as well). However, those looking for something in between standard small-blocks and performance big-blocks could find a new 390 two-barrel that offered big-block torque combined with a bit of economy. Officially known as the Marauder 390 P V8, this engine offered 280 horsepower with 10.5 compression, so it required premium fuel. The only transmission offered was the Select-Shift Merc-O-Matic automatic. At the end of the model year, only 3,254 Cougars were built with this engine, of which 2,037 were XR-7s. In fact, more Cougars with the 390 four-barrel were built (ditto the Mustang), if that gives you any indication how much the market cared about such a combination.
In the world of pony cars, only the 1970-71 Plymouth Barracuda and Dodge Challenger offered a big-block two-barrel, so it was an unusual proposition, though the Mopars sold better with this configuration. Nonetheless, this 1968 Mercury Cougar XR-7 is a fine example of this quasi-anomaly. It’s an original California car (delivered to Santa Monica) painted Onyx Black with a matching vinyl top and leather/vinyl interior. The rear gears have a lazy 2.75:1 ratio, but the 390’s torque prevents this Cougar from appearing underpowered. Other features include air conditioning, a tilt wheel, power disc brakes, an AM/FM stereo, tinted glass, door edge guards, and bumper guards front and rear.
No matter what happened to be under the hood, this Cougar XR-7 would be a standout. The unusual engine gives it a distinction that no Brand X pony car can match. For $49,500, this is prime luxury sports car.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
