It may seem strange that the Mercury Cougar evolved from a pony car to an intermediate in 1974 but, truth be told, the purpose of the car remained the same. Our Pick of the Day, a 1976 Mercury Cougar XR-7, is the last of the ritzy feline cruisers before Mercury transformed the Cougar for more mainstream appeal. This Cougar is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Lenoir City, Tennessee. (Click the link to view the listing)
The Mercury Cougar initially was Ford Motor Company’s foray into exploring whether the market was interested in an upscale pony car. Though based on the Mustang, the Cougar was distinctly styled, with hidden headlights, sequential taillights, and standard V8. In a few months, the XR-7 came along, making the Cougar downright luxurious thanks to its wood grain dashboard, Euro-inspired switch gear, and leather interior.
A bigger and heavier Cougar was introduced in 1971, still with classic long hood/short deck proportions like all pony cars, though it clearly was moving in a personal luxury direction. With the advent of the 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix, 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and even the short-lived 1969-70 Mercury Marauder, sporty luxury at a lower price point was becoming popular. Plus, muscle cars were falling out of favor due to market forces (if not the insurance industry and the federal government), and many of those buyers were maturing, becoming easy prey for the charms of the personal luxury segment.
When the Cougar was redesigned for 1974, it continued to be Mercury’s “luxury sports car” though now it was based on the mid-size Montego. “Totally new and totally unlike any Cougar anybody’s ever seen before!” claimed Mercury, though the nose bore more than a resemblance to the previous-generation Cougar. Interestingly, the 1974 Cougar was only offered as an XR-7. Available engines included two 351s (including the final appearance of the 351 Cobra Jet), a 400, and a 460. A vinyl top was included as standard equipment, as was a set of bucket seats with console, though a customer could opt for the Twin Comfort Lounge split bench in vinyl, velour, or leather and vinyl.
For 1977, the redesigned Mercury Cougar evolved even more, absorbing the mid-size Montego and becoming Mercury’s mainstream intermediate that included a four-door and wagon. The Cougar XR-7 remained the true personal luxury model within the series.
This Light Blue 1976 Mercury Cougar XR-7 is complemented by a blue Landau vinyl roof and color-matched side molding. “All the glass in this ’76 is very nice for its age and shows to have been well cared for,” says the seller. Inside, you’ll find the Flight bench seat with folding center armrest in blue that became standard for ’76. Like all Cougars, this one has performance instrumentation. “The headliner and carpet have a great fit and we can see that the visors are nice and that the dome light is working as it should,” adds the seller. Note the AM/FM stereo and air conditioning too!
Under the hood resides the standard 351-2V backed by a C4 automatic and 2.75 gears for those nice and easy Malaise acceleration runs. You’re in no hurry, right? Enjoy the scenery and make folks smile with this leader in the luxury sports car field for only $14,995.
Click here for this ClassicCars.com Pick of the Day.
