The 1967 Mercury Cougar roared onto the scene as a stylish and powerful alternative in the pony car segment. Sharing its underpinnings with the Ford Mustang, the Cougar brought a touch of European flair and a lineup of potent V8 engines to the table. Ford intentionally slotted the Cougar between the Mustang and the Thunderbird. The following narrative is a detailed breakdown of the powertrain choices, transmission options, performance packages, and notable extras that made the Cougar a standout in its debut year.

Above: 1967 Mercury Cougar XR-7 photo courtesy of Mecum Auctions

The years 1966 to 1972 are widely regarded as the golden age of Trans American (Trans Am) racing, a thrilling period that saw factory-backed muscle cars, legendary drivers, and fierce rivalries come together to create one of the most exciting chapters in American motorsport history. The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) launched the series in 1966 to promote showroom stock sedans, but what followed was a war between automakers on the racetrack that would shape the identity of American performance cars for decades.

In a landmark move to celebrate and share its storied automotive history, the Ford Motor Company launched the Ford Heritage Vault in June 2022. This expansive digital archive grants public access to over a century’s worth of materials from Ford, Lincoln, and the now-retired Mercury brands. Created as part of Ford’s efforts to make its heritage more accessible and to commemorate the company’s 119th anniversary, the Heritage Vault is a goldmine for car enthusiasts, historians, collectors, educators, and anyone with a passion for American automotive culture.

The 75th Annual O'Reilly Auto Parts Grand National Roadster Show, presented by Meguiar’s, celebrated America’s longest-running indoor car show. From January 31 to February 2, 2025, the Pomona Fairplex hosted hundreds of the nation’s finest hot rods, customs, muscle cars, trucks, and motorcycles for a weekend that showcased automotive artistry of the highest level.

Waylon Krumrie has been a classic car enthusiast since he was seven years old. His pony car passion began when he first saw his grandfather, Rex Krumrie's, 1968 Cougar XR-7. The elder Krumrie purchased the Cougar from his former boss way back in 1971, when the cat had just a scant 30K miles. Waylon's grandmother, Sallye, mainly drove the car.

The Fabulous Fords Forever show made a triumphant return on Sunday, June 13, in Irwindale, California. Drawing more than 1,000 Ford cars, including Mustangs (Classic, Fox Body, SN95, New Edge, S197, S550), Falcons, Cougars, Thunderbirds, Broncos, and F100s, and thousands of Ford fans, the long-running So Cal show was a massive hit in it's first appearance at Irwindale Speedway!

The Lincoln-Mercury division of the Ford Motor Company produced the Mercury Cougar from 1967 through 1997 and from 1999 through 2002. Throughout the Cougar's 34-year production run there are eight distinct generations of the car.