Beyond his pursuit of sports cars, supercars from renowned brands, and JDM vehicles, Đặng Lê Nguyên Vũ’s passion extends to American classics, with the 1968 Mercury Cougar being the latest addition to his nearly $400 million car collection.
Delivered to Mr. Vũ in November 2025, this Mercury Cougar 1968 recently hit the streets with its owner. The car makes a bold statement with its unique grille, horizontal round headlights, and a front bumper featuring two additional lights.
The rear is equally striking, with taillights framed by horizontal slats resembling the fangs of a predator. Finished in black, both exterior and interior, it remains unclear if the businessman plans to acquire a second Mercury Cougar 1968.
The Cougar, produced by Mercury from 1967 to 2002, is a versatile model. While often associated with two-door coupes, it was also offered as a convertible and hatchback. During its production as a mid-size Mercury, it was available as a four-door sedan and five-door wagon.
Produced over 34 years across eight generations (excluding the 1998 model), the Cougar ranks second only to the Grand Marquis (36 years) in Mercury’s production longevity. With 2,972,784 units sold, it remains Mercury’s best-selling model.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Mercury’s marketing heavily featured the Cougar, branding dealerships as “Signs of the Cat” with large feline images. This feline theme extended to other Mercury models like the Bobcat and Lynx.
The Cougar was assembled at various plants: Dearborn (Ford River Rouge complex, Michigan, 1967–1973), San Jose (Milpitas, California, 1968–1969), Lorain (Ohio, 1974–1997), and Flat Rock (Michigan, 1999–2002).
Introduced by Lincoln-Mercury on September 30, 1966, the Cougar exceeded sales forecasts, accounting for nearly 40% of Lincoln-Mercury’s 1967 sales. Unlike the Mustang, the Cougar debuted solely as a two-door hardtop.
Priced $284 above the equivalent Ford Mustang, the Cougar started at $2,854 ($27,659 in 2024). A fully equipped XR-7 cost $4,500 ($43,611 in 2024), comparable to the base Ford Thunderbird.
The Cougar earned Motor Trend’s 1967 Car of the Year, the only Mercury model to achieve this honor.
Internally designated T-7, the first-generation Cougar shared a modified 1967 Ford Mustang chassis with a 3-inch longer wheelbase (111 inches). Both were based on Ford’s compact unibody rear-wheel-drive Falcon platform.
The first-generation Cougar exclusively featured V8 engines. The 4.7L V8 offered two carburetors: a two-barrel 200 hp or a four-barrel 225 hp. The optional “Marauder” 6.4L V8 produced 320 hp.
In 1968, the 289 engine was temporarily replaced by a 4.9L V8 designed for new federal emissions standards. This engine produced 210 hp (two-barrel) or 230 hp (four-barrel), with the two-barrel standard on XR-7 models.
Mid-year, a lower-compression 289 became available. A two-barrel “Marauder 390P” was introduced for non-GT Cougars, generating 280 hp. The new GT-E featured a 7.0L V8 with 390 hp. On April 1, 1968, the 428 Cobra Jet Ram Air (335 hp) replaced the 427 in the GT-E.
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