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| No, your vision is just fine. That is indeed a Cougar wagon. Photo: Wikipedia |
Now Thunderbird-based (aka Torino/LTD II), the Cougar prowled a new path as the replacement for several discontinued Mercury models. A sedan and a short-lived station wagon were added to the nameplate, simultaneously following and establishing a trend that can be seen both in past automobile history as well as presently. A perfect example would be all of the premium Asian brands we now have that offer models that are basically gussied up versions. FCA's RAM brand would be another...it was a model, now it's a brand. I'm sure you can come up with many more examples.
Buyers were interested and sales reached record highs. Current enthusiasts aren't particularly interested because while weight was kept around the two-ton mark (add another 200 pounds for the wagons), power was down. Ranging from the 302 with 134 horsepower all the way up to an anemic 400 with only 173, the V8s were nothing to write home about. Suspensions continued to be about as sporty as a ride on whipped cream and the looks were pimp-tastic, with the highlight being the optional Midnight Blue paint and chamois interior with Tiffany carpeting and opera windows. Just add a chain-link steering wheel, spinners and you'd really have something to go with your polyester suit.
Thank you, Cheryl Tiegs.
Supposedly, there was also an optional 460 with 216 hp, but I've never been able to confirm any came out of the factory with that motor.
It will come as no surprise that my pick would be the one year only 1977 Mercury Cougar Villager station wagon, preferably without the fake woody siding. NADA average retail value for the wagon is around $7K. That value seems to also be about the going rate for an XR-7 coupe on Hemmings and eBay these days, but good luck finding a wagon.
Original MSRP ranged from $4,600 up to $5,700, depending on the year and model. It's worth noting that at this is the point in history where fleet sales were really coming into play for Ford, including Lincoln and Mercury.
Why anybody would want an example of this generation Cougar is beyond me (other than the rarity of the wagon). But that's ultimately up to you, of course. Who am I to judge? Personally, if I somehow wound up with one, I'd murder it out, making sure to get the darkest tint on the windows so nobody could see me driving the thing. It would look cool, very gangster and it would be fun for cruising around in, 70s style.
Say, that doesn't sound too bad.
Thanks for this fun retrospective!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thanks! It is fun, isn't it. Mercury was always just what it was for Ford - another way to sell the same cars. But it's interesting to watch the sales decline progression and note how Ford let the brand wither on the vine.
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