From Nascar "Pony" Car Fame - The Lincoln - Mercury Cougar

You may well have thought that the MercuryCougar car was all Mustang, using the exact same
Cougar auto that the origins of the MercuryFalcon front suspension and a solid rear axle with
Cougar auto were nothing more than a whalefour-leaf springs. A base 289 cubic inch V-8 made
sized version of simple Ford Thunderbird car. Yet200 bhp (gross), but the real action came in the
many are surprised that the history andguise of a 390 cubic inch V-8 that made 320 bhp.
development of this classic American sportscarA GT option included a performance handling
rather was that of the NASCAR legendarypackage and power disc brakes that replaced
Mercury "Pony Car" , which kicked nothing but butmore standard front brake drums. Finally special
"Butt" on the Trans-Am Automobile racing circuit.GT wheels rounded out the package. It has been
Originally Lincoln- Mercury (considered at the timesaid that Lincoln Mercury's chief designer had
to be the luxury end of Ford Motor Corporation),envisioned the Cougar as an elegant European
had devised the idea of developing, designing andsports car, along the lines of the Jaguar Mark 2.
marketing a small sized sports car. The germ ofHow was it that the Cougar went racing? In 1967
this idea had started as early as February 1963Lincoln Mercury turned to Bud Moore to be the
with the idea in the works of this smaller sportspoint man for a shot at the SCCA Trans-Am
type vehicle to be sold within the North AmericanChampionship. Team Cougar made up of drivers,
automobile market. But it was the success of theDan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Formula 1 driver Peter
Ford Mustang product that finally put the pedal toRevson and NASCAR driver Dave Pearson came
the metal (or the design and marketing staff's okin second in Ford Mustang's team. In 1968 then
and budgeting of departmental project funding). Itunder the aegis of Moore, driver DeWayne "Tiny"
is said that nothing drives a project theLund went on to capture the NASCAR Grand
automobile industry than the potential of excellentTouring Championship. So where and how did the
sales figures and profitability's. Even the name ofCougar go wrong and in the end become a rather
the vehicle product "Cougar" is not totally unique.non defined wishy washy bloated luxo sort of
Cougar is in the same vein as "Mustang" - bothsports car by the end of its automobile production
being sleek fast racing animals. Although thelifetime? What proved to be this product and
Cougar was also built on a 111 inch wheelbaseprojects undoing was the lack of true
similar to the mustang auto sports car, thecomprehension from the direct Mercury as well as
Cougar was rather three inches and half inchesFord staff and executives as to what this car's
shorter than its cousin - the Thunderbird.clear and distinct market was. It may be said that
Underneath the elegant sheet metal of theat the best they were disinterested and at the
Cougar was a Mustang, so to speak. In actualityworst clueless and greedy. This lack of market
the Cougar shared with its cousins - the sportyfocus, as well as not knowing and perceiving the
Mustang, and the dourer family vehicle - the Fordneeds and desires of the potential Cougar
Falcon (which was also known in the Canadiancustomer market proved to be the Cougar's
market as the Ford Frontenac product. The Fordundoing. By the 1969 product introduction the
Mustang had the greatest fortune of being bornCougar was a little longer and a little wider. From
from the Ford Falcon product line. Mustangthen on it was only a short decent into landau
enthusiasts owe a great debt of gratitude to a soroofs as well as the opera window type styling
called compact "Family" car. The Ford Falconand options of the day. Once started this
allowed both the Mustang car project as well asdownward trend and spiral of the Cougar was
the Cougar car product a quick to develop, cheapinevitable. The halcyon years of the early Cougar
to produce as well as a proven and durable base- specifically the early Cougar model years of
platform. Even the dash of the early Mustangs1967 - 70 remain a time when the Cougar's roar
was a direct copy of the Falcons. Underneath allboomed out of dual exhausts and the sign of a
of the glitter of its elegant sheet metal thecar that had some bite to it.