Tuesday, May 12, 2009

What did the Marti Report say?

As I mentioned in my previous post I ordered a report from Marti Auto Works on the 1967 Mercury Cougar that I purchased. So, I thought I would share the results of the report.

The Marti report confirmed all of my suspicions about the vehicle. According to the report there is nothing rare about this particular Cougar that I now own. Mercury produced 150,893 Cougars during the first year of production. This vehicle is one of those, but nothing special. Just for fun let's compare that to the rest of the 1967 Pony Car Market shall we?
  1. Ford Mustang - 472, 121
  2. Chevrolet Camaro - 220, 906
  3. Mercury Cougar - 150, 893
  4. Pontiac Firebird - 82, 560
  5. Plymouth Barracuda - 62, 534
The vehicle was originally outfitted with the standard 8 cylinder, 289 cubic inch engine with standard 2 barrel carburetor. The vehicle was painted Cardinal Red with Red Standard interior. The original options included an automatic (Merc-O-Matic) transmission also known as the C-4 , whitewall tires, AM Radio, tinted windshield, and wheel covers. That's not too many options checked off the order sheet there.

The vehicle was originally built at the plant in Dearborn, MI on January 16, 1967 and purchased at Colonial Lincoln-Mercury in Atlanta, GA on April 7, 1967. According to the Classic Cougar Network, the base price for a Cougar was $2,851. with these options would be $2950.93 (this does not reflect the cost of the option of the automatic transmission). I did a quick internet search and could not find that this dealership still exists. I also searched Google maps and did a streetview on that address and do not see that any kind of dealership exists at that address any longer.

The measurements and weights for the 1967 Mercury Cougar Standard Hardtop
Wheelbase – 111.0”
Overall Length – 190.3”
Overall Height – 51.6”
Maximum Width – 71.2”
Fuel Capacity – 17 gallons
Standard Hardtop Curb Weight – 3,119 pounds
Source: Ford Motor Company

The Standard Equipment - $2,851
Cougar 289 V-8 Engine
Sporty floor shift transmission
7.35 x 14 tires
111" wheelbase; 58.1" wide wheel tread
All synchronized 3-speed manual transmission
Rubber-cushioned Road Control Front Suspension w/articulated compliance struts
Hotchkiss drive rear suspension with 59" long rear springs
Aluminized 2-stage exhaust with resonator and transverse muffler
Economical 2.80:1 rear axle
All-vinyl bucket seat interiors
Unit-built body with platform chassis
Reversible keys and keyless door locking
Three-spoke sports type steering wheel
Three-pod instrument cluster with full complement of lights, controls and gauges
Deep-loop color-keyed carpet
Bright-trimmed suspended pedals
Dual concealed headlamps
Full wheel covers
Full wheel cutouts, front and rear, with sculptured flanges and bright moldings
Sequential turn signals
Curved glass side windows with bright integral frames
Concealed gas tank filler behind hinged license plate
Sculptured sheetmetal peak for beltline
Thin dual full-length paint stripes

Optional Equipment ordered on this vehicle.
Tinted windshield - $21.09
AM Radio - $60.05
Deluxe wheel covers - $18.79
Automatic transmission - $ ?

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