Daily Pick: 1976 Mercury Cougar XR-7

This may seem strange In 1974, the Mercury Cougar evolved from a compact to a midsize car, but truth be told, the purpose of the car remained the same. Our pick today is a 1976 Mercury Cougar XR-7, the last luxury feline cruiser before Mercury revamped the Cougar to appeal to more mainstream consumers. This Cougar is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Lenoir, Tennessee. (Click on the link to view the listing)

The Mercury Cougar was originally introduced by Ford Motor Company as a way to see if the market was interested in a premium small car. Although the Cougar was based on the Mustang, it had unique styling with hidden headlights, sequential taillights, and a standard V8 engine. A few months later, the XR-7 was introduced, and the Cougar became very luxurious thanks to its woodgrain dashboard, European switchgear, and leather interior.

In 1971, the larger and heavier Cougar arrived, still with the classic long hood/short deck proportions of all small cars, but clearly moving in the direction of a personal luxury car. With the advent of the 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix, 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and even the short-lived 1969-70 Mercury Marauder, lower-priced sport-luxury cars were starting to become popular. Also, muscle cars were falling out of favor due to market forces (if not the insurance industry and the federal government), and many buyers were maturing and easily falling prey to the allure of the personal luxury car market.

When the Cougar was redesigned for 1974, it was still Mercury’s “luxury sports car,” although it was now based on the midsize Montego. “Completely all-new and unlike any Cougar people have seen before!” Mercury claimed, even though the front end bore more than a passing resemblance to the previous generation Cougar. Interestingly, the 1974 Cougar was offered only in XR-7 form. Available engines included two 351s (including the final appearance of the 351 Cobra Jet), a 400, and a 460. A vinyl headliner was standard, as was a set of bucket seats with a console, though customers could choose between vinyl, velvet, or the Twin Comfort Lounge split bench seat in leather and vinyl.

In 1977, the redesigned Mercury Cougar was further developed, absorbing the mid-size Montego and becoming Mercury’s mainstream mid-size model, including four-door and station wagon. The Cougar XR-7 remains the true personal luxury model in the series.

This light blue 1976 Mercury Cougar XR-7 features a blue Landau vinyl roof and color-matched side moldings. “All the glass on this ’76 is nice and well-maintained,” says the seller. Inside, you’ll find a blue Flight bench seat with a folding center armrest, which was standard for ’76. Like all Cougars, this car is equipped with performance gauges. “The headliner and carpet fit very well, and we can see the visors are great and the dome light works well,” adds the seller. Also note the AM/FM stereo and air conditioning!

Under the hood is the standard 351-2V engine mated to a C4 automatic transmission with 2.75 gears for easy Malaise acceleration. You’re in no rush, right? For just $14,995, you can enjoy the scenery and keep people happy while driving this luxury sports car.

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