Do not recall seeing this many markings on a seat cover before. I do not recall seeing Firestones name on them before, anyone else?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/203926096785
I assume the AX is a color code? Are those published somewhere? Specifically for 1968.
Looks a lot like a sample submitted by a vendor for testing or grading.
I bought a 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 NOS Master Wheel Cover ( "For Approval " / “Sample” ) made for Ford Engineering, at Hershey a couple of years back.
It was provided to Ford Engineering for approval, and was stamped all over, multiple tags and grease pencil annotations, from the supplier. The manufacturers name was American Rockwell, and it name, logo and all the engineers hand-written annotation forms its ‘provenance’ so to speak. It was also marked, “Not to be removed from Ford Motor Company” - so who knows how it ‘escaped’ their notice - surely too large for a ‘lunch pail part’ !
Anyway since it was slated for approval for the upcoming model ( 1969 ) year, it had as many ( and similar ) markings on it, as did this '69 XR-7 convertible rear seat cover. So that is my take on this seat cover - it was a very early version, that was approved by Ford and made it into the production line. Do you know the VIN of the Cougar that this seat cover came from ? I would venture to say that it is VERY early production, as the date on the actual cover is 7 10 68 - that would be the start of the 1969 model year production.
My 1969 XR-7 dash ( soft ) cover, when I removed it had all sorts of pencil markings on the inside, as well as stickers on it from the Davidson Rubber Company. My Cougar ( San Jose ) is VIN / sequence # 507215. So again early production and a lot of the markings would be consistent with that fact.
This came from a local walk in customer who parted the car out. We agreed on a price for the full set of nice leather seats / door panels and he then drove from Vanc. WA. Imagine my dismay when shows up with one bucket on top the other with the tracks still on and the clips left on the door panels stacked on each other.
