#AtoZ 1968 – “X” is for XR-7 Cougar

~ Martha Reynolds

“You’re going to get a concept that maybe this really is one world and why the hell can’t we learn to live together like decent people.” ~ Astronaut Frank Borman, on seeing the entire earth from outer space as he and the crew of the Apollo 8 returned from orbiting the moon.

xr7 Cougar

The Mercury Cougar was referred to as a “pony car,” and like its mentor, the Ford Mustang, it was affordable, compact, and had a sporty or high-performance image. In the Cougar’s case, it was about performance. Available as a base model and the XR-7 shown above, it was a two-door beauty. By 1968, the Cougar had federally-mandated side marker lights and front shoulder belts. A V8 engine was standard on all XR-7s.

Comfort and performance options available for the Cougar included the “Tilt-Away” steering wheel that swung up and out of the way when the driver’s door was opened. And in 1968, a new option was available: a factory-installed electric sunroof. It was available on any hardtop Cougar, but rarely ordered on early cars.
(Source: Wikipedia)

 

A to Z badge 2

BONUS MUSIC!

Here’s the #4 song from Billboard’s Year-End Top 100 Singles of 1968

“(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding

Published by Martha Reynolds

I am the bestselling author of eight novels, including the Swiss Chocolate trilogy and VILLA DEL SOL, which won the 2018 Book Award in Literary Fiction from the Independent Publishers of New England. My newest novel, APRIL IN GALWAY, releases 29 November 2018.

11 thoughts on “#AtoZ 1968 – “X” is for XR-7 Cougar”

  1. M….. I m not going to lie to you! When I first saw that you were going to be writing about Cougars, I was envisioning “something else,” preferably something in 60’s Go-Go boots! I enjoyed the car blog anyway!

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  2. I owned a pony car, years ago – a 1977 Mitsubishi that riffed directly from the 1969 Dodge Charger but on a post oil-shock scale. There was something really classic about that styling.

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