“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.
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)
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
I am the bestselling author of nine 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 series includes the books A JINGLE VALLEY WEDDING, APRIL IN GALWAY, and ALL’S WELL IN JINGLE VALLEY.
Find my books online at Amazon, locally at Stillwater Books (Pawtucket, Rhode Island) and Ink Fish Books (Warren, Rhode Island).
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11 thoughts on “#AtoZ 1968 – “X” is for XR-7 Cougar”
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!
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.
Nice car. I remember riding in something similar years back, a friend’s car, and being oh, so uncomfortable — the seats, everything. But definitely a nice car.
Never had much of an interest in cars, but the beach (Ocean Beach, New London) has a classic car night on Mondays and there’s no charge to get in after 5pm. They play oldies on the radio, and we have a wonderful visit!
Beth, as you know from a comment I left on your “W” post, I hate driving, so cars don’t mean anything to me, either, other than anecessity. But I can appreciate good design. 😉
Martha Reynolds Writes 
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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HAHAHAHA! 😂
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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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Matthew – aren’t you the reason I got started with the A to Z Challenge? I think so!
Thanks for commenting.
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I think I might have been too! 🙂
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Nice car. I remember riding in something similar years back, a friend’s car, and being oh, so uncomfortable — the seats, everything. But definitely a nice car.
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Nice to look at!
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Never had much of an interest in cars, but the beach (Ocean Beach, New London) has a classic car night on Mondays and there’s no charge to get in after 5pm. They play oldies on the radio, and we have a wonderful visit!
Beth
https://bethlapinsatozblog.wordpress.com/2018/04/27/x-ercise/
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Beth, as you know from a comment I left on your “W” post, I hate driving, so cars don’t mean anything to me, either, other than anecessity. But I can appreciate good design. 😉
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So many of those 60s cars were just cool cars!
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More impressive than the ho-hum cars today!
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