1970 Mercury Cougar Hardtop 428
Mercury Cougar is a nameplate applied to a diverse series of automobiles sold by the Mercury division of Ford from 1967 to 1997 and from 1999 to 2002. While the nameplate is most commonly associated with two-door coupes, at various times during its production, the Cougar was also marketed as a convertible, four-door sedan, station wagon, and hatchback.
With 2,972,784 examples produced, the Cougar is the highest-selling nameplate produced by the Mercury brand; its 34-year production is second only to the Grand Marquis in the Mercury model line (made for 36 years). During the 1970s and 1980s, the Cougar was closely tied to the marketing of the Mercury division; Mercury advertised its dealers as “The Sign of the Cat” with big cats atop Lincoln-Mercury dealer signs. In line with the Cougar, other cat-related nameplates were adopted by the division, including the Bobcat and Lynx.
This 1970 Mercury Cougar hardtop is finished in blue over black vinyl upholstery and is powered by a replacement 428ci V8 paired with a three-speed automatic transmission.
The high-back bucket seats are trimmed in black vinyl, and Cougar-logo floor mats protect the color-coordinated carpeting. The car is also equipped with a Philco AM radio, a floor-mounted shifter, and manually operated windows. Instrumentation includes a 120-mph speedometer and auxiliary gauges.
Rare or, even better, unique cars are a delight not only for the collectors hunting for them, but also for the rest of us mortals, who find in these amazing machines a respite from all the modernity and conformity of the modern age. And today’s well-deserved respite is this rare in some sense and unique in another 1970 Mercury Cougar.
