1996 Mercury Cougar XR7 - Dad, That's Awful

 

I never gave this iteration of the Mercury Cougar a moment's notice back in the day. Was it my loyalty to GM or that these were more expensive than any GM10\W-body coupe? Note my "W-body" 2002 Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet Monte Carlo is in the background. Maybe it was that I was not a fan of its quirky Thunderbird-esque styling. I know my older son isn't. I showed him these pictures of this 1996 (or 1997) and he didn't sugar coat his opinion as he blurted out, "oh, god. Dad, that's awful".   

I found this recently in the parking garage in the "outdoor mall" near our home here on the west side of Cleveland, Ohio. There was an oversized, Walmart\Target\Autozone cover on the steering wheel and a knapsack in the back seat telling me it's a daily driver for some young person. Was it Grandpa's car that sat undriven for a quarter-century or did their car-geek parent buy it for them and is jamming it down their throat? I wonder if they really like it. Again, I know my son most certainly isn't. 

The Mercury Cougar and Ford Thunderbird were all new for 1989 and a subtly significant reskin occurred for 1993. My experience with them was quite pleasant. Solid, smooth, comfy and the time I drove a five-speed, Thunderbird Super Coupe, I was like, "I need this". 1989-1990 Cougar XR7's had the Thunderbird Super Coupe's supercharged, 3.8-liter V-6, 1992-1997 XR7's were stuffed with V-8's. Either Ford's 5.0-liter "Windsor" or their "modular", 4.6-liter, two-valve, single-overhead cammer. Ford sold just shy of a half-million these Cougars and just a hair under a million Thunderbirds from 1989-1997, so it was a bit of a head scratcher when they pulled the plug on them. 

The Ford Motor Company either saw the handwriting on the wall that big coupes were dying, or they purposely steered the market towards even bigger, heavier and no doubt more profitable SUV's. Can you purposely change the course of lakes, rivers and market niches? Oh, yes. You most certainly can. 

Amazing how much the car market has changed in the 25 years since this was new. Not only has the entire personal luxury car niche all but dried up, but the sedan segment is all but gone as well. I can only imagine the myriad changes to come in the next quarter-century as "electrics" takeover.  

Legend has it Ford used BMW's 1976 vintage "E24" coupe as a handling and styling benchmark for these cars. Debatable as to whether or not they came close to hitting either mark. I know how my son feels about them although he's not a fan of most nineties' cars. That includes my wife's beloved 1995 Lexus SC400. Best I can say about this car, despite being a good, old-fashioned gas guzzler, she'll run well on regular and blessed with four-wheel-independent suspension, she'll ride and handle better than any other personal luxury car ever did. Fun fact, Ford didn't put an "IRS" on the Mustang until 2015. 

One thing is all but certain, I can't imagine one of today's new-fangled electrics being around in twenty-five years.