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.

Classic Industries was at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to witness and celebrate 50 years of vintage auto racing history with the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2024. When Classic Industries' humble scribe (namely me) learned about this vintage racing extravaganza, he knew where he wanted to be from August 14 through August 17, 2024.

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!