The Mercury Cougar arrived in 1967 as Ford’s more refined and upscale answer to the Mustang — a personal luxury pony car that offered greater size, more premium appointments, and a distinct identity of its own. The XR-7 trim package elevated the formula further still, adding genuine leather seating, a wood-grain instrument panel, overhead console, and toggle switches that gave the cabin an almost European grand touring character. By 1968, the Cougar had refined its formula with sleek fastback styling, hideaway headlights, and a range of performance options that made it a legitimate rival to anything Detroit was producing at the time. XR-7 examples remain among the most desirable first-generation Cougars for their combination of performance potential and premium interior presentation.

This example was built ground-up on a rotisserie by KTL Restorations, the award-winning shop behind Lethal Cat — the 1970 Mercury Cougar that claimed the Goodguys 2019 Muscle Car of the Year title. The car wears a GT-E inspired two-tone scheme with a deep black upper body and silver lower section with painted pinstripe, complemented by correct XR-7 C-pillar badges and a clean chrome and trim presentation throughout. An aggressive hood scoop and hideaway headlights maintain the Cougar’s period character, while 18-inch Boss Motorsports wheels wrapped in Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/R tires give it a purposeful modern stance.

Under the hood, the factory 302 has been replaced by a 347 cubic inch stroker V8 equipped with aluminum Edelbrock E-Street heads and Edelbrock electronic fuel injection for reliable, modern power delivery. An MSD ignition, aluminum radiator with electric fans, and Flowmaster dual exhaust complete a well-sorted engine bay. Power is managed through a C4 3-speed automatic transmission feeding a Ford 9-inch rear end with 3.00 gears — a balanced combination suited equally to relaxed highway cruising and spirited acceleration. Four-wheel disc brakes and power steering ensure the driving experience matches the visual quality of the build.

Inside, the XR-7’s signature luxury has been fully restored — leather seating surfaces, wood-grain instrument panel, overhead console, and toggle switches are all present and correct, with updated air conditioning utilizing factory controls and ventilation. The leather-wrapped T-handle shifter and full XR-7 instrumentation round out a cabin that is as refined as the Cougar’s original brief intended. This is a restomod that respects the XR-7’s premium heritage while delivering the reliability and performance of a thoroughly modern build.