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It was meant to bridge the gap in the Ford product line between the Mustang and the Thunderbird, but Mercury’s Cougar would go on to become a mainstay of the division, ultimately symbolizing the “sign of the cat” brand. Beginning with a single two-door hardtop model, the Cougar would go on to spawn convertible, sedan, hatchback and even station wagon variants, but like the rest of the Mercury division, it’s now little more than a memory of our automotive past. Introduced on September 30, 1966, the final Cougar rolled off the assembly line on August 2, 2002. In honor of the half century that’s passed since the Cougar’s debut, here’s a look back at its origins.
1967 Mercury Cougar Dan Gurney Edition. Photo by Richard Lentinello.
The Cougar is often described as Lincoln-Mercury’s response to the Ford Mustang, but the Cougar’s origins pre-date the launch of the Ford Mustang. As early as 1963, the Lincoln-Mercury division was engaged in designing a sporty compact car, but the project only gained momentum in the summer of 1964, when John Aiken, the manager of the Lincoln-Mercury Advanced Styling Studio, was put in charge. Prior to Aiken’s involvement, Mercury considered launching a Mustang with a restyled fiberglass front end, but quality issues with both paint and panel fit nixed the idea.
An ode to Mercury's finest pony car as it turns 50.
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Re: Gone, But Not Forgotten – Mercury’s Cougar Turns 50
