This 1970 Mercury Cougar Convertible is a beautifully restored, luxurious pony car with fantastic creature comforts! After Ford released the Mustang in the middle of 1964, seemingly every American automaker began to play "catch up" and release their own competitor. In 1967, America's muscle car era was well underway, as was the era for the muscle car's younger siblingâthe Pony Car. For Mercury, the marque decisively entered into the Pony Car market when it introduced the Cougar in the 1967 model year. The Cougar was essentially a luxury Pony Car, intended to be somewhat of bridge between the more entry-level Mustang and the more luxury-oriented Thunderbird. The resulting car was a smashing success for Mercury! From a sales perspective, the '67 Cougar accounted for nearly half of Mercury's total sales. Design highlights included its iconic disappearing headlights up front and sequential taillights in the rear. In fact, the '67 Cougar was considered to be so beautiful that it was named MotorTrend's Car of the Year in 1967. After modest changes in 1968 and 1969, Mercury's designers seemed to continue to iterate modestly with regards to the 1970 Cougar. The most notable change occurred up front when the center hood extension was reintroduced from the early years but an "electric shaver" trim design was added that elevated the '70 Cougar's front end treatment. Down the sides and in the rear, the '70 Cougar retained the same general appearance except the car was actually a bit longer nose to tail. On the inside, Mercury introduced modest updates on the 1970 Cougar. For example, the '69 Cougar's instrument cluster design was carried forward into 1970 however the hi-back bucket seat pattern was updated and yielded an even more upscale look and feel. In total, Mercury produced a mere 2,322 Cougar Convertibles which makes this pony quite a rare piece of automotive history. Under the hood on this '70 Cougar Convertible is a 351 Cubic Inch Windsor V8 fed by a single 2 barrel carburetor that together were said to have created 250 horsepower when new. The 351 Windsor is backed by a Select-Shift Automatic Transmission that makes this luxury Pony Car easy for anybody to drive. Exhaust exits this Mercury's powerplant via a dual exhaust setup that generates a terrific throaty sound out of the rear tailpipes. Being that the Cougar was the Ford Motor Company's deluxe Pony Car, this one comes loaded with superb options! With power steering, maneuvering in and out of tight parking spaces is a total breeze and the overall driving experience is much improved. Outfitted with power front disc brakes and power drum brakes in the rear, this 1970 Mercury Cougar has plenty of stopping power. Riding on a set of whitewall radial tires paired with Rally-style hubcaps and beauty rings, this '70 Cougar has a gorgeous look and even better ride. The blue vinyl power convertible top is in wonderful condition and it goes up and down with the simple flick of a switch. Further adding to the upscale look and feel of this 1970 Mercury are the dual concealed "hide-a-way" headlamps up front and the sequential rear turn signals. The body has been refinished in a beautiful white paint with a touch of pearl, that completes the exterior look of this convertible. The interior of this 1970 Mercury Cougar Convertible is absolutely gorgeous! The front hi-back bucket seats and rear bench have been reupholstered in blue vinyl with blue cloth inserts. The padded dash, three-spoke "rim blow" steering wheel, blue vinyl door panels, blue seat belts, and blue carpeting, along with the woodgrain accents throughout, appear to remain in their stock configuration and all show well. The instrument cluster is outfitted with a 120 MPH speedometer, temperature gauge, and fuel gauge, as well as indicator lights for the alternator, parking brake, and oil pressure. The dash is finished off with a locking glovebox, climate controls, and a push-button AM/FM radio. Whether you're buying your very first classic car or you're adding to your existing Cougar den, this 1970 Mercury Cougar Convertible would make an excellent choice. Give Ellingson's a call today at 763-428-7337!
