1968 Aussie delivered RHD Cougar!
http://richmonds.com.au/portfolio/1968-mercury-cougar-coupe/
Anybody know if this is the real deal and/or the history behind it?
Looks like a nice car. I sort of like the wood console - nicely crafted.
Never seen a couple of the entries on the window sticker…
“TECTYL” or is it TEOTYL.
Also, “Left shift headlamps.”
Curious to what these may mean.
I don’t see where they claim it was factory conversion to RHD, unless that’s what TECTYL means.
Wow that center console is certainly a fine piece of craftsmanship. I really like it. Not fond of the armrests getting the wood grain treatment though. I couldn’t imagine trying to find dash parts for a right hand drive, it’s hard enough to find decent intact XR7 dash bezels for US cars.
I suppose the RHD conversion may have been done locally here in Oz but if that is the case it looks to have been done very well and I have never personally seen a RHD Cougar down here anyway.
I assume “left shift headlamps” refers to having the low beams point towards the left side of the road, which is what is required of a RHD car. This lends weight to the notion it may have been RHD from the factory.
Either way it’s a rare beast - if it was in Melbourne rather than Adelaide I’d be over to see it in a shot!
This car was a part of a thread on here before. I want to say earlier this summer. I do not recall if the whole thread was about this car or if just became a part of the thread. I believe that there was more information on that thread about the history of this car.
Randy Goodling
CCOA #95
Converted on delivery by Ray Morris Conversions
https://cccforum.discoursehosting.net/t/67-68-right-hand-drive-exports/9385/1
See door tag for conversion details
Wow! Look at that center console and arm rests! The tilt away would go the wrong way which would be awkward. They did a very clean job, I would have to do something with that gas pedal.
It may not be tilt-away, but it looks to be a tilt column. Did Ford do any RHD builds or were they all contracted out? I imagine it wouldn’t be hard to make another column fit due to part commonality.
It’s not my taste, but the wood work is amazing!
However, I do like how the woodwork closely matches the design of the factory versions! 
all 67-69 cars with tilt came with tilt-away. Cruise control to boot!
Ford did not build RHD Cougars. The RHD Mustangs, and possibly the two 68 Cougars, were converted at Ford Sydney using a local RHD converter
Thanks Leon and Don,
Leon, you said on the last thread there were no RHD Cougars, but I didn’t know about the rest of Ford.
As for the tilt, there’s enough mods that the tilt may be aftermarket and not have been part of the original conversion.
It looks like a tilt-away to me. Plus the last photo on the seller’s site shows the option part of the window sticker, tilt-away steering column is clearly listed. There is also a photo showing the right side (now drivers) door jamb and the tilt-away jamb switch is clearly visible. Perhaps the conversion company had a way to convert the column to swing to the left?
Randy Goodling
CCOA #95
They didn’t build any right hand drive Cougars. They are all converted from left hand drive cars
Ford Australia converted two in 67/68 Cougars with a bunch of other Mustangs. They were converted at the Homebush plant in Sydney by one of the local conversion companies. These cars have a Ford Australia compliance tag
RHD drive production out of Ford Canada continued into the early 1970’s.They include compact Fairlanes, Galaxies and LTDs. Not sure of the volumes but black Galaxies were the transport of choice for politicians until local Fairlane production commenced.