The 1969 Mercury Cougar Delivered Luxury and Elegant Styling to the Pony-car Market
Muscle Car Profile
05/04/2022
Despite the popularity of the Mustang, Camaro, and Firebird, an unquestionable stalwart in the late 1960s pony car market had to be Mercury’s Cougar. When Dearborn’s mid-priced division announced the arrival of the "Big Cat" for 1967, it was a refreshing deviation from yet another gussied-up Ford.
Based on the groundwork executed in the original Mustang design, Mercury’s engineers created a new foundation that was longer and wider, coupled with a suspension tuned for spirited-yet-discerning drivers. Rather than supply a six-cylinder as the base engine, a 200-hp, 289-cu.in.V-8 was installed. Stylists then crafted a distinctly European-influenced body featuring hidden headlamps, wraparound front and rear bumpers, refined contoured flanks, and taillamps—with sequential turn signals—that echoed the front fascia. Interiors contained vinyl bucket seats, plush carpeting, and a three-spoke "sport style" steering wheel, helping make the Cougar a harmonious blend of Thunderbird’s luxury trappings with Mustang’s agility and performance. The combination of attributes attracted 123,672 buyers, in addition to the sale of 27,221 upscale Cougar XR-7 models released mid-year 1967. It was an auspicious start that paved the way for the future of the Cougar, including our featured example from 1969.
A convertible variant debuted that year, and all 1969 Cougars were visually refined. Although hidden headlamps, elegant bumpers, and a racy-yet-formal C-pillar and backlite remained integral to the car, the flanks were smoothed, save for a gentle "sweep" that dipped and gradually faded from the leading edge of the front fender into the quarter panel, just in front of the wheel opening. Helping enhance the elegant sweep was a longer body that measured 193.8 inches, versus 190.3. It was also widened by 2.9 inches, though the original 111-inch wheelbase was unaltered.
Mechanical improvements began with the announcement that the corporate 351-cu.in. Windsor small-block, rated for 250 hp with a two-barrel carburetor, replaced the 289 as the standard engine. A three-speed manual transmission remained standard; however, many opted to upgrade to an automatic, while the option sheet also provided buyers the opportunity to equip their ideal Cat with a 290-hp 351, a 320-hp 390, or a 335-hp version of the 428 CJ, with or without Ram Air induction.
The depicted Cougar, purchased new by New Hampshire residents Bill and Brooks Thompson, was ordered with the base 351, FMX automatic, 9-inch Traction-Lok differential, as well as the "Sports Special Package B" that provided "bullet" rocker panel trim, a left-hand color-keyed racing mirror, body-side stripes, and turbine wheel covers.
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine: Ford 351-cu.in. V-8
Horsepower: 250 @ 4,600 rpm
Transmission: Merc-O-Matic FMX three-speed automatic
Wheelbase: 111.0 inches
Length: 193.8 inches
Width: 74.2 inches
Height: 51.5 inches
Weight: 3,358 pounds
Production: 66,331 hardtop coupes
Base price new (1969): $3,016
2022 equivalent: $23,686
Recent
Photo: Hemmings Archives
Photo: Hemmings Archives
This new model would reflect Chrysler’s famed engineering prowess. While the Rambler introduced unit-body construction to America’s small-car market years earlier, the Valiant was among the first cars whose unit-body rigidity was optimized through state-of-the-art computer-aided design and testing simulation. Under a unique, Virgil Exner-penned skin, this model proved roomy for its circa-184-inch-long size thanks to a generous 106.5-inch wheelbase. Clever touches to boost luggage capacity included a spare wheel hidden below the trunk floor in sedans and run-flat “Captive-Air” tires on wagons that made space for lockable below-deck storage or a rear-facing third-row bench.
Photo: Hemmings Archives
The Valiant’s soon-to-be-ubiquitous, cast-iron Slant Six wasn’t as avant-garde as the air-cooled, horizontally opposed Corvair engine, but it was strong and clever. Canted at 30 degrees, it featured a 3.40 x 3.12-inch bore and stroke, 8.6:1 compression ratio, and a one-barrel carburetor sitting atop long, tuned intake runners. This inline-six made 101 hp and 155 lb-ft of torque, and it maintained battery charge with an industry-leading 12-volt alternator. Drive went to the rear wheels through a floor-shifted three-speed manual or pushbutton three-speed automatic.
Photo: Hemmings Archives
Supporting this model was a version of Chrysler’s famous Torsion-Aire suspension, which used longitudinally mounted front torsion bars, ball joints, asymmetrical rear leaf springs, and Oriflow shocks. Behind 13-inch wheels were 9-inch drum brakes, and steering was by recirculating ball; power assist could optionally be fitted to both systems. Other desirable Valiant options included a heater/defroster, variable-speed windshield wipers, and a pushbutton radio.
Photo: Hemmings Archives
The Valiant struck a chord with buyers, who purchased nearly 200,000 of the 1960 examples. This compact would come under the Plymouth brand for 1961, when two-door variants—with and without a B-pillar—were added to the lineup. Decades on, this car remains a good buy, with values that make it a very approachable collectible. Classic.com reports just one example sold publicly in the last five years, that being the original V-200 sedan that brought $3,500 in May 2023 as a Make Offer listing on Hemmings.com.
Specifications - 1960 Valiant
Photo: Hemmings Archives
SPECIFICATIONS
- Engine: OHV I-6, 170 cu.in., one-barrel downdraft carburetor; 101 hp at 4,400 rpm, 155 lb-ft of torque at 2,400 rpm
- Transmission: Three-speed manual/three-speed automatic
- Suspension: Front, torsion bars, ball joints, tubular shocks; Rear, leaf springs, tubular shocks
- Brakes: Four-wheel drums
- Wheelbase: 106.5 inches
- Curb weight: 2,635-2,810 pounds
- Price new: $2,053-$2,488 ($16,225 today)
- Value today: $3,500-$26,500
Photos by Mark J. McCourt
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