West Coast Classic Cougar featured on Gearz with Stacey David

1968 Cougar XR-7 427 GTE

What is it about a car-line model designation that quickens the pulse?

The Cougar GTE is a special, limited-production cat Mercury brought to us one year and one year only--1968.

The GTE was a super-sporty, ultra-elegant Cougar that prowled in its own neck of the jungle. It wasn't just a fast factory musclecar, it was an elegant fast factory musclecar with rich woodgrain appointments, leather, lots of accessories, and a stealthy demeanor it still has today.

Early in the '68 model year, ordering a Cougar GTE meant getting the awesome power of a 427ci big-block with a hydraulic camshaft. After April 1, 1968, ordering a GTE meant the newly introduced "poop" of a more powerful 428ci Cobra Jet with greater torque and horsepower ratings.

1970 Mercury El Gato Concept Car

Sporting a bold lime green paint job, El Gato (Spanish for "The Cat") was produced as a styling exercise for a futuristic-looking Cougar.

Note the shaved door handles, chopped roof, and ultra cool three-spoke 16" wheels, with new-at-the-time Goodyear Polyglass radials. To say this Cat was before its time would be a serious understatement.

While the front end merged styling from both the Cougar and the GTO, it still projected an evil stance. Note how the limited flat black striping ends inside the molded-on hood scoop.

Also, the front and rear pans were rolled---a very advanced looking feature in an era of chrome bumpers. This was the first ever fastback Cougar.

At the rear, LTD-style taillamps were broken at the left by the racing-style gas filler cap. The square center-exit exhaust tips lended a very unique air to the car. It is not known if El Gato still exists but it's presumed to have been destroyed (standard Ford practice for show vehicles at the time).