The first generation Mercury Cougar was released on September 30, 1966. It was instantly a success, and, as no surprise, in 1967 it received Motor Trend's Car of the Year award. During its lifetime, the first generation Cougar received a series of V-8 engines, but one of the most powerful ones came in 1968 with the launch of the XR-7 GT-E package. Just FYI, the most powerful one was a 427 ci V-8 engine with a total output of 390 horsepower.
Only 394 units of the GT-E was produced in 1968 and, more importantly, there was only one unit that combined a 428ci Cobra Jet V-8, a four-speed manual transmission, and a 3.90:1 Traction-Lok differential. This specific unit is now being auctioned on bringatrailer.com.
Is it really worth the money?
At the time of this writing, the current bid was $135,000. Keep in mind that back in 1968 a fully-optioned Cougar XR-7 was $4,500 (or a little over $35k if we convert to today's dollar). So, why the extra $100k?
Well, other than being unique, it seems that the original owner placed this car in storage from 1978 until his passing in 2002. His brother then sold it in 2015 to the current owner. So now the car only has a little under 55,000 miles on the odometer. The buyer will also get: original sales and ownership paperwork, manufacturer’s literature, a magazine featuring the car, an Elite Marti Report, spare parts, and a clean Texas title in the seller’s name.
For the interior, the leather on the low-backed front bucket and rear bench seats is also not in the best condition, and the clock on the center console is also inoperable. The steering wheel is stock, and so is the rest of the dash panel. It includes a 120-mph speedometer, a tachometer, and a five-digit odometer showing 54,875 miles.
Now, the question is, is this car really worth the money? What do you think?