Photo: eBay seller Books On The Boulevard
The 1968 model did not introduce any substantial cosmetic changes to the Mercury lineup, but the automaker did make several updates under the hood.
The Cougar now aimed at a more diverse clientele. It offered decent engines for people not entirely interested in performance, like the standard 302 with 210 horsepower, but also monstrous units to get the adrenaline flowing.
The 302 could also be equipped with a four-barrel carburetor and made 230 horsepower; Mercury eventually introduced the 289 as the base unit, this time with 195 horsepower.
The 390 Marauder remained the star of the show, and could be had with 280 and 325 horsepower. Mercury wanted more power in the Cougar lineup, so they also dropped a 428 during the year, raising the horsepower limit to 335.
The icing on the Cougar cake was the 427 big-block option, available on the high-performance GT-E and capable of developing 390 horsepower.
The Cougar in these photos started with—and still has—a 302ci unit that still starts, runs, and drives. eBay seller Books On The Boulevard says the engine runs for short runs but smokes a lot, so it will likely need a rebuild.
The Cougar was born in Los Angeles and has been in the same family for years. It was first owned by the father, then given to the daughter, and finally passed on to the sister. It became a semi-daily car in 1989, but the car has never been restored, so what you see in the photos is an unaltered configuration that is still 99% original.
The body looks good, but will require occasional attention and the underside will need a patch. However, inspect the car yourself or order a third party inspection and carefully check what's going on underneath.
The interior is also nice and features original headrests on the front seats. The dashboard is no longer original. The car also has air conditioning and the upholstery is better than most people would expect.
Overall, it's hard to find anything to hate about this Cougar if you're looking for a mostly original restoration project. The car is in good condition for an unrestored and barely modified 56-year-old Cougar, so I don't expect it to be around for long if the price is fair.
The owner listed this Cougar on eBay with a price tag of $15,000, but also enabled a Make Offer option to allow interested buyers to submit additional bids. The auction site says 19 people have added the car to their watchlists, but it’s unclear if anyone is involved in the acquisition talks. In the meantime, you can see it in person in Gig Harbor, Washington, and you’ll likely need transportation to get it home despite the engine running.