1968 Ford Mercury Cougar 500

1968 Cougar 500 The 1968 Cougar 500 appears to have been a regional dealer promotion. They have Cougar script on the rear quarters followed by block 500 letters then a Cyclone style checkered flag. These cars all had white exterior color with either red or black interior. They are based on the standard Cougar. Most are R-code CJ cars: VIN 8F91R5xxxxx. Per Bill Quay, there were 54 of the Cougar 500s built, but not all were 428's. We know of the existence of one small block Cougar 500 in Tennessee: VIN 8F91C5xxxxx. They were sold in the Atlanta (DSO 21) region and the Washington, D.C. (DSO 17) region.

They were all built between May to July of 1968. We presently have one documented as White with Black Vinyl top and originally sold in the Washington, D.C. area, and the small block Cougar 500 in Tennessee. Bill has been in contact with two other people who know the whereabouts of two more of these elusive Cougars.

What may help us immensely to solve these type of mysteries is outlined in Kevin Marti's Cougars By The Numbers book. Any members who live in or around the Atlanta and D.C. areas and who frequent the Public Libraries, may want to search the newspaper archives for Lincoln-Mercury Dealer advertisements. This may shed some light on who, what and why in regard to these special Cougars.