1979 Mercury Cougar

The Mercury Cougar, introduced on September 30th of 1966, exceeded initial sales projections and accounted for nearly forty percent of the 1967 Lincoln-Mercury sales. It was well-received by the public and media alike, earning the 1967 Motor Trend Car of the Year award. It was exclusively powered by V8 engines and shared its engine lineup with the Mustang. The first generation of styling continued through 1971, with the second generation resting on a revised version of the first-generation chassis, again shared with the Ford Mustang. Its performance and size were similar to the Mercury Cyclone intermediate coupe, the Cougar being the more popular of the two, leading Mercury to phase out the Cyclone during 1972.

The second-generation Mercury Cougar was the final version offered as a convertible and the final version derived from the Ford Mustang. The third generation of styling arrived in 1974, shifting from its Mustang pony car origins to a more upscale platform and marketed as a personal luxury car. Its wheelbase grew from 112.1- to 114-inches, sharing its chassis with the Mercury Montego and Ford Torino intermediates.

The fourth-generation Mercury Cougar was produced from 1977 through 1979 with the coupes residing on a 114-inch wheelbase and the sedan and wagons on a 118-inch platform. It became the best-selling version of the Cougar, with 1978 as the top-selling year for the entire model line. Body styles expanded from one to four, and along with the previous Cougar XR-7 luxury coupe, Mercury introduced a four-door sedan, a five-door station wagon, and a two-door coupe. The station wagon was discontinued following the 1978 model year.

New styling did away with the previous 'fuselage design,' embracing sharper-edged lines, a new grille and grille opening panel similar to the larger Marquis, and quad rectangular headlamps. In the back were new backup lamps, vertical taillamps, decklid, deck opening lower panel, and quarter panel. The XR-7's had unique wraparound taillamps and a new decklid, a padded landau roof, and large opera windows with louvers.

1979 Mercury Cougar
1979 was the final year for the styling introduced in 1977, gaining revised taillamps and body-color grille inserts. The full-length bright bodyside molding was replaced by full wheel lip and rocker panel moldings. A simulated walnut instrument cluster faceplate was added to the dashboard. The battery received a new plastic battery tray and the alternator received a new electronic voltage regulator.

Body styles continued to include a two- and four-door pillared hardtop offered in base or Brougham trim, and the personal-luxury XR-7 hardtop coupe. The two-door hardtop had a base price of $5,380, the four-door pillared hardtop at $5,530, and the Cougar XR-7 at $6,000. The XR-7 was vastly popular compared to its siblings, with 163,716 examples built, compared to 2,831 of the two-door hardtop and 5,605 of the pillared hardtop. the combined 172,152 examples built in 1979, was the fewest of the three years, with 194,823 units built in 1977 and 213,270 in 1978. Sales would drop considerably for 1980, with the 58,028 units built were followed by 90,928 in 1981, and 73,817 in 1982.

The grille of the XR-7 included a lower extension below the bumper, new color fabrics became available for the Chamois Decor Group, and an extended-range fuel tank became optional. The Chamois Decor Group, introduced late in 1978, added a half vinyl roof with vinyl crossover strap, padded Continental-style rear deck, Chamois interior, Tiffany carpeting, and straight-through paint stripes.

The standard engine was a 90-degree, 302 cubic-inch V8 with a cast-iron block and head, 8.4:1 compression, five main bearings, hydraulic valve lifters, a two-barrel carburetor, and delivered approximately 130 horsepower at 3,400 RPM and 223-lb-ft of torque. The optional 351 CID V8 produced approximately 135 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. A higher compression version of the 351 CID delivered 151 horsepower at 3,600 RPM and 270 lb-ft of torque at 2,200 RPM. A SelectShift three-speed automatic transmission with column lever controls as standard.

Standard equipment and standard design features included power steering, power brakes, rear bumper guards, vertical swing-away grille, quad rectangular headlamps, stand-up hood ornament, full wheel lip moldings, rocker panel moldings, and wraparound amber parking lamps with integral side markers. The Brougham package added opera windows, upper bodyside paint stripes, full-length bright bodyside moldings with integral wheel lip moldings, wide bright door belt moldings, and a full vinyl roof on the four-door body styles.

The Mercury Cougar XR-7 rested on 15-inch wheels with special wheel covers wrapped with GR78x15 BSW tires, and equipped with a dual-note horn, hood rear edge molding, C-pillar treatment and ornament, spare-tire decklid with lower molding, and a padded landau vinyl roof with louvered opera window.

When the 1980 Mercury Cougar arrived at dealerships, it rested on a smaller 105.5-inch wheelbase and now occupied the mid-size segment for the first time. It was nearly 15-inches shorter and dropped approximately four-inches in width, and shed around 900 pounds of curb weight. Many styling elements from the fourth-generation were carried through to the fifth, including the louvered opera windows, sharp-edged fender lines, and Continental-style trunk lid. The sole body style was the XR-7 coupe and the base engine was now a 255 CID V8 replacing the former 302 CID V8, which was now optional equipment. The four-speed automatic overdrive transmission was also new. This generation of styling continued to 1982. Production would continue to 2002 through eight-generation of styling.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2021