I’ve got a 70 Cougar XR 7 Convertible that I’m trying to find some history on if anyone can help.
I just got the Eminger report from Marti Auto Works and it has some good info on it.
The car has an 84 DSO HOME OFFICE RESERVE
Company ordered show vehicle / display.
It’s #500051
Was ordered by Ford Motor Company for the Chicago Auto Show, August 15 1969 was when it was finished and ready to ship to Ogden motor sales in Westmont, Il.
Since this Cougar was ordered as a show vehicle there has to be history on it somewhere, pics, articles show pics, was it shown internationally, was it an executive car and etc.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Delay wipers and flo-thru are both quite rare options. What would that 8 track cost in 2017 dollars?
https://secure.cougarpartscatalog.com/p-vent.html?attribs=79
Here’s an image from the 1970 Chicago Auto Show website. I’m guessing this is Cougar #51, as it is of the 1970 Mercury Cougar XR-7 Convertible at the show. The vehicle has a light metallic exterior, maybe gold, definitely white convertible boot and interior. Interestingly enough, this Cat doesn’t have Styled Steel Wheels, so popular today but rather full Wheel Covers. It would be great to find full color images of this.
“Flo-thru” was made standard in 1970 and is different than the 'Comfort Stream" ventilation that was available in 1969.
While styled steel wheels are very common today, for 1970 they were on less than 5% of Cougars from the factory according to Kevin Marti’s, Cougars by the Numbers.
That 8-track would cost about $1,032 today!
The price of the car would only be $23,492.
Nice Cougar! Yours is a very early 70 production car with a neat history. My 70 convertible was built 4 months later, but is close to a twin of yours. Love that 351c! Mine also has intermittent wipers and no A/C. Ordering intermittent wipers seems odd to me for a CA convertible. I wish mine had 8 track just for fun. I have tried without success to get in touch with the original owner who took delivery on New Years Eve 1969. But I did find it’s last owner before it was taken off the road in LA in 2004. He confirmed 60k miles and no rust or wrecks. It still had the tires he had installed until last month, and still has the Goodyear polyglas F70-14 spare.
I also have a DSO 84 1970 vert… delivered to California w/ evaporative emissions. Pretty sure it was someone’s company lease car. At least they weren’t shy checking the boxes on the option list!
I also notice that the show cars generally didn’t have a/c…
If the original owner was living in Hayward and commuting to San Francisco the intermittent wipers would have been a major plus in the fog and drizzle. I used to tap my foot on the washer pump pedal for poor man’s intermittent wipers back when my Cougar was my daily driver.
Sounds like you found a neat Cougar.
So you bought it! I`m glad to hear it is saved. I was real and i mean REAL tempted to pull the trigger and buy it. I know 1 of the previous owners that was going to save it but he was starting his restoration shop in FL and then the car changed hands and ended up in alabama. Check this out.
https://cccforum.discoursehosting.net/t/70-xr7-convertible-from-chicago-auto-show/12364/1
thanks
pat
Thanks, it’s been fun if not a bit expensive. I thought starting with a very nice original car would save money, but it actually has cost more because I am more motivated to maintain numbers matching and buy concours parts.
Original owner lived in Castro Valley and worked in Hayward where she took delivery of the car on New Years Eve 1969. But what you said makes perfect sense - I’ve never been to San Francisco without encountering mist or fog somewhere. Beautiful area!