After the impressive success of the 1965 Mustang, Ford was on a roll. They then decided to use the same formula to bring Mercury back to the spotlight. Mercury was Ford's entry-level luxury division that mostly focused on 2-door coupes. By using the underpinnings of the '65 Mustang, the 1967 Mercury Cougar was born.

It was poles apart from its twin. When the Mustang was a brawny muscle car that was focused on pumping up the youth of the time, Mercury Couger was a well-polished coupe that went closely in line with the likes of Germans of the time. The automotive press of the time dubbed it as "a mustang in a tuxedo" which pretty much summed up what the Cougar was.

With funky features like the then-cool hidden headlamps, sequential taillamps, and plush interior; the 1967 Mercury Cougar managed to bring in equally impressive sales as the Mustang. In fact, the Cougar was so good, that it accounted for about 40% of 1967 Lincoln-Mercury sales. And it even bagged the 1967 Motortrend Car Of The Year Award, a first for Mercury.

The 1967 Mercury Cougar was essentially a luxurious take of the 1965 Ford Mustang.

How Did The '67 Cougar Differ From Its Twin- The '65 Mustang

1967 Mercury Cougar front fascia close up view
Via: Vanguardmotorsales.com

Ford loves to play shuffle to this very day and it was also evident when they decided to use the '65 Mustang's winning formula to the luxury-oriented 1967 Mercury Cougar. The Cougar was basically a modified version of the sporty Mustang. But Ford made extensive efforts to make the Cougar as unique as possible.

It had a longer chassis which helped increase the cabin space. The second-row seating was improved along with various luxury-oriented features that helped it stand apart from its twin. Designwise, its hideaway headlamps, vertical front grille, and sequential taillights were differentiating factors from the iconic Mustang.

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Mercury Cougar Came Standard With A 200-225hp 4.7L V8

1967 Mercury Cougar engine bay view
Via: Vanguardmotorsales.com

Big brawny V8s were gaining traction in the late 1960s. Unlike the Ford Mustang that came with a standard 6-cylinder at the time, the '67 Mercury Cougar packed in a standard V8. This was an impressive feat that helps the Cougar stay afloat when it was raining Mustangs everywhere. It also justified the notable premium the Cougar had over the Mustang. It came with a basic 2-barrel 4.7L naturally aspirated V8 that churned out 200 hp.

A 4-barrel setup was also available from the factory that bumped up the power to 225 hp. It came with 3 transmission options - 3-Speed Manual, 4-Speed Manual, and a very catchy Merc-o-Matic 3-Speed Automatic which was a renamed version of the Cruise-o-Matic transmission, the first-ever automatic transmission from Ford. The Cougar was also offered with an optional 6.4L "Marauder" V8 that pumped out 320 hp.

The Cougar Had A Lavish Cabin With Plusher Vinyl Options

1967 Mercury Cougar interior dashboard view
Via: Futureclassicsnj.com

Luxury was the key attribute that Ford wanted to convey with its Mercury division. They were quite successful at it, and journalists of the time would often compare the Cougar with the luxury likes of Germans. It had a sassy interior layout with premium vinyl options, a well-stacked dashboard, and truly comforting two rows of seating space. The wooden 3-spoke deep dish steering wheel was a neat touch and an insight to its lux-appeal.

Mercury also offered various optional features of which the most noteworthy one was a Sports Console between the seats that came in at an additional $57. Other optional features included Tilt-Away Steering Wheel for $60.05 and an AM Radio/ Stereo Sonic tape deck unit for $188.50. Later on, the Cougar was offered in an XR-7 package that added leather upholstery, an overhead console, and special badging to flaunt its uniqueness.

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Was An Elongated Mustang But Had Quirky Design Cues

1967 Mercury Cougar side view
Via: Futureclassicsnj.com

The image above will most likely convince you into believing it to be a '65 Mustang. Well, we won't blame you as the '67 Mercury Cougar was technically a stretched-out Mustang. Cougar used the same platform as the First Generation Mustang but was increased in wheelbase by 3 in., to 111 in. The chassis of the Mustang was moreover derived from the Ford Falcon's unibody chassis, which was an RWD setup.

But to the naked eye, Mercury pitched in a few interesting and quirky design cues which helped it stand apart in the seat of rapidly increasing Mustangs. The most note-worthy was its slide-away front grille design that enclosed its hidden headlamps. The vertically lined front grille gave it a neo-retro vibe, similar to the 1970 Dodge Challengers used in the movie - In Time.

But It Couldn't Take Off Like The Iconic Mustang

1967 Mercury Cougar hd wallpaper
Via: Futureclassicsnj.com

The 1967 Mercury Cougar was an ambitious start that could have turned out to a long-standing icon, if not for its shared credentials with the Ford Mustang. The first generation did manage to bring about traction and make the Cougar known for its quirky design language and emphasis on luxury.

But over time, the Ford Mustang steadily rose to fame and the Mercury Cougar was overshadowed by its twin's success. Morover, when the Mustang garnered international success, Ford put in little effort to make the "Mercury" brand global. The '67 Cougar remains a very special car that managed to churn out almost similar sale figures as the First Gen Mustang. Its quirky design cues and lux-appeal make it a bold car from the 1960s.

Sources: Autoweek.com, Motortrend.com, Hemmings.com, Macsmotorcitygarage.com, Wikipedia.org

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