The Cougar got a fresh start in the styling department for the 1983 model year. By incorporating some themes used in previous Cougars, an instant link to the past was created, giving the new Cougar a familiar air from the start. This was an important step to keep from alienating loyal customers, or to invoke a little nostalgia, or perhaps a bit of both. One element that the Cougar has retained from its beginning is the sporty "long hood, short deck" styling. This gives the car a presence that is akin to a real cougar: long, lean, and ready to spring into action. But designers had a big roadblock: major components of the Cougar were to be shared with the Thunderbird as well (windshield, hood, fenders, doors, front bumper covers, and rear bumper covers). This automatically limited a lot of creativity on their part...but their inspiration literally started at the top.

ABOVE: Did Ford find some inspiration for the 1983 Cougar in GM's 1979 Buick Riviera and Olds Toronado? A few elements are definitely similar between those cars and the Cougar, such as the laid-back roofline, near-vertical rear window, formal sides and trunklid slope. Still, the Riviera and Toronado, while nice late-1970's designs, come off a bit too square to be modern. The Cougar seemed to take the best of those cars and clean up their shortcomings in the process.

ROOF

1 Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the car was its upright backlite. Some have said that the roof just looks "chopped off" too abruptly. Others love the way it boldly defined the silhouette of the car. In any case, the roof achieved its goal of separating Cougar buyers from its Thunderbird twin. It also allowed more interior headroom--albeit at the sacrifice of some aerodynamic properties--and at least the perception of more trunkroom (even though it was the same inside dimensionally as the Thunderbird). Car buyers paid more for a Mercury than a Ford, and so they wanted something more substantial and different for their money. They certainly got it with the Cougar, thanks to the formal roofline.

2 The roundness of the roof is apparent at first glance. From every angle there is a gentle curve which is mostly for aerodynamic purposes, but also is softer to the eye and helps visually blend the windshield into the roof. The highest point of the roof is just above the driver's head. This gave the 1983-86 Cougar a drag coefficient of .40, respectable for its time. Cut-outs in the roof panel were needed to accommodate the new aircraft-style doors.

An interesting note about the roof: this was Ford's first foray into what would eventually be called a "safety cage" construction. The unibody Fox chassis, upon which these cars were built, was fairly strong for its era. But the design of this particular unibody meant that the Cougar and T-Bird relied heavily upon its roof panel for overall body strength. The roof panel was separate, not welded and seamed with body filler on the C-pillar as with most cars of that time period. A small rail area above the C-pillar allowed the panel to join the body, with a small 3/4" filler panel to cover any seams. Not only did this make for a much cleaner look, but it was also easier to access either the roof panel or the rear quarter panels if a repair or replacement panel was needed. It also allowed Ford designers to change roof panels for a sunroof configuration if ordered. From 1983-86 a factory sunroof was available.

FRONT FASCIA

Also apparent is the all-new front end, rounded at all corners and highly integrated into the rest of the car. Compared to the Thunderbird, the Cat's front end is much more formal and upright. On 1983 models a traditional stand-up hood ornament was placed atop the header panel; for 1984-86 it was flattened out, again emphasizing a break from the old ways and keeping with the aero look. Integrated next to the headlamps were the large amber side markers. For this time period, the idea of moving the side markers next to the headlamps was not utilized much, but Ford sought to clean up an otherwise visually obtrusive element this way. A quad headlamp layout, stepped in to match the angles of the front end, allowed good nighttime vision and also hearkened back a bit to the last generation XR7 model. The headlamp buckets were painted a flat silver for high reflectivity, while the outside was trimmed in chrome for visual appeal. Tucked between the headlamp buckets was the small rectangular grille. The charcoal molding is integrated fully into the car from front to rear; this was also one of the first Ford vehicles to sport this unifying look. A small, thin chrome piece topped the molding as well. Multiple inlets and an integrated air dam in the front bumper cover, well underneath the front end and almost hidden from view, aided in delivering cool air to the radiator.

3 The turn signals were deeply set into the front bumper cover, similar to the Mercury Capri. By placing them separately from the headlamps, it becomes easier for one to see them in use from a distance.

4 The front bumper cover was all urethane, as with previous XR7 models, but the small "bumperettes" on either side of the license plate, from the previous Cougar, were eliminated for a much smoother look. On the 1983-84 models, the chromed waterfall grille is a Mercury tradition brought back for its reintroduction.

5 For 1985-86 a butcher-block style chrome grille appeared on the Cougar...an obvious copy of a Mercedes grille (below). Was Ford aiming higher in their aspirations for the Cougar? Hardly, although the goal was to have Euro styling at an American price, and this grille emulation certainly got that point across loud and clear.

6 The 1985-86 XR7 models received the Thunderbird Turbo Coupe's bumper replete with fog lamps. The bumper cover itself was a bit more aggressive looking, although tastefully so. The subtle lower chin helped with air delivery to the radiator.

7 The European-derived Marchal fog lamps, which were superior to any other from its day, were aligned visually underneath the innermost high-beam headlamps. Since fog lamps are most effective the more outboard they are, this was an excellent place for them. However, due to the unusual angles of the front end it was rather difficult to keep the fog lamps aligned, especially after a front-end collision.

ABOVE: You can see how the 1980-82 Cougar XR7's front end was "melted" to become the face of the 1983-86 Cougar. In fact, everything was softened and refined between 1982 and 1983. It's hard to believe these two cars were just one model year apart.

HOOD & WINDSHIELD

8 One of the requirements for this new Cougar was a then-radical 60-degree windshield rake--only exotic cars, the Corvette, and the F-bodies had sharper rakes in 1983. This was mainly for aerodynamics but also helped minimize wind noise. Today, a 60-degree rake is almost too "upright"!

9 Designers were also told to hide the windshield wipers to visually clean up this area of the car and add an air of premium quality (which showed how serious Ford was with creating the aero-car look for its entire line). The only problem was that this required a rather high cowl, about 2-3" higher than a Mustang. Therefore, the view from inside the car is one of a massive, bulbous hood. Shorter drivers initially complained but the popular driver's power seat option easily solved that problem. Fortunately, the engine bay room was very generous height-wise, so a sharper rake of the hood from back to front could be employed.

10 From a front-on view, the hood is visually very strong and aggressive, due to the hood creases that taper from the outer edges of the windshield down to the grille. Basically any vehicle with tapered hood creases will look sportier, but few had the presence of the Cougar before this time. These lines created a subtle bulge in the middle section of the hood, hinting at the engine underneath.

FENDERS

11 The most apparent visual aspect of the Cougar's fenders are the rounded tops. While this element helped slice a cleaner hole into the air, it also created a much softer look for the front of the car, particularly if the car was a metallic color.

12 The wheel wells were also treated to a rounded, soft shape with a pronounced swept-back arch. A prominent soft bulge over the wheel wells gave a subtle, muscular presence without the sharp-cut edges of its Capri cousin or the chiseled look of the Mustang. Again, this was to emphasize the roundness of the car.

13 A sharp body line starts at the frontmost edge of the fender and eventually rounds out at the C-pillar window. This crease emphasizes the horizontal sides, breaks up all the roundness with a familiar shape that holds the eye, and actually adds a bit of strength to the fenders.

14 Above the molding is a 3/4" recessed body line that surrounds the entire car. Some feel that this line was unnecessary but it did give a bit more character to the car.

15 Also of curious note is the body molding: the piece on the front of the fender is about 3/4" higher than that on the rear of the fender. The only reason for this is so that the front end would be within U.S. government specifications for bumper and headlamp heights at the time of manufacture (remember, in 1983 there were no aerodynamic headlamps and these regulations were much more rigid). Around the rest of the car the molding is at the same level. The fender molding, therefore, is a visual trick to help one overlook this height difference--a daring styling device that actually worked!

DOORS

The aircraft-style doors used on the Cougar and Thunderbird (and eventually the similar Lincoln Mark VII) were the first used by a U.S. automaker on a mass-produced vehicle in quite some time. This type of door completely surrounds the door glass with metal, creating a much stronger frame for the window (but consequently a much heavier door). It also helps with aerodynamics and keeping out wind noise, and it also hides the otherwise visually obtrusive drip rails from sight. A heavy steel beam is welded horizontally inside the door, creating a very strong safety barrier. And multiple weatherstripping seals helped keep water away from the occupants upon entry and exit. In short, these doors were created to solve a lot of problems and they do many things at once.

16 Visually, the door glass is surrounded by chrome (aka "bright") aluminum trim on base (GS) and LS models, while XR7 models from 1984-86 received body-colored mirrors and blacked-out window trim.

17 The rounded mirror housing is fully nested inside the aluminum trim, also cleaning up this area significantly.

18 A slick option on 1983-86 models was the pivoting vent window, which allowed more fresh air to enter the cabin. This was popular on cars that did not have air conditioning, although one could have both.

19 All base (GS) and LS models from 1983-86 had a very skinny 1" molding between the wheel wells; only the XR7's and regional RS models received the wider molding that matched the width found on the bumper covers.

20 The smooth door handle is at a convenient height and is made of metal, not flimsy plastic like those found on 1987-93 Mustangs. Interestingly, Ford designers did not place the door lock next to the handle but instead chose to drop it down a bit. The reason why is unknown, because there is certainly room to move it up inside the door's frame. Nevertheless, the Cougar's door works as a whole visually.

ABOVE: The 1963 Corvette coupe was one of the first mass-produced American vehicles to use aircraft-style doors. The Cougar renewed this concept for 1983.

REAR QUARTER PANELS & REAR GLASS

This is the part of the Cougar that gets very interesting, as all the major styling elements of the car seem to converge here.

21 Of first importance is the C-shaped side window, surrounded by a thicker aluminum trim. This shape not only countered the sharply-cut rear backlite, but also counterbalanced the shape of the rear wheel well. Notice how the space between the side window and rear backlite tapers toward the top; this emphasizes an upward movement, perhaps a reinforcement of the controversial roofline.

22 The previously-mentioned crease that started at the front fender edge gradually flows around the window and fades out toward the roof--a very elegant, subtle touch.

23 A fixed emblem also adorned this panel: the open snarling cat emblem for most models; a unique XR7 badge for that model; and an optional electroluminescent coach lamp on all LS and optioned GS models. While some may see it as "just an emblem", its job was to visually break up what would otherwise be a sea of solid body panel in the C-pillar area. Without the emblem this area loses its sense of balance.

24 The rear window (aka backlite) was obviously a very unique property of this car. Virtually no other cars previously, and very few since, have dared to have such a bold styling element because it has to be done just right: one false move and the car's sales prospects are severely hindered. Luckily, Ford did an outstanding job with incorporating the vertical backlite into the rest of the car. It is not flat but very rounded when viewed from the side and top. Overall its height is about 1 foot, very tiny by even today's standards. Some said that the car felt claustrophobic inside because of the small back window. But the small size allowed the trunk to sit higher on the car, creating a muscular "shoulder" on the rear quarter panel. And, of course, the window was much easier to scrape off in winter weather than any other car, if it needed that at all--the rear defroster option usually took care of most ice and snow quickly.

25 Near the vertical backlite, the tapered trunkline bulges softly into the body, again taking what would normally be ignored into an almost sculpted triangular "shoulder". The bulge over the wheel well is larger than the front, allowing a rather wide rim to be easily fit under the car. The round fuel door can be found on the passenger side, which statistically is the safest side of the car on which to place it (for those countries where cars are still driven on the right-hand side of the road, anyway). This is the legacy of the Fox-chassis vehicle: right-side fuel door, and rearward fuel tank.

26 Of contrast to the rather upright front end is the angled rear end. This was the legacy of the Thunderbird's aero styling, and so the Cougar had to conform since the two cars shared rear bumpers. A cutout allowed the taillights to wrap around into the rear quarters, and subsequently housed the rear reflectors that otherwise would have been stuck to the quarter panel itself. All in neatness and efficiency.

BELOW: The "C"-shaped side windows were not unique to the Fox Cougar. Several older cars had similar window shapes, including the 1963 Studebaker Avanti, the 1965 Plymouth Barracuda, and even the 1971 AMC Gremlin!

TRUNK & REAR

While the trunk is rather large and spacious, the long trunklid can look a bit incongruous with the rest of the car when viewed from certain angles. It's the only place on the whole vehicle where the proportions are just a bit out of kilter. A shorter lid might have solved that problem, but that would have sacrificed trunk room and given the designers a headache with trying to conform to the Thunderbird's prerequisite panels. Fortunately this area looks fine from most lines of sight.

27 Interesting to note is the infamous trunklid "hump", whose roots go back to the 1977 Cougar. Again melding the past with the present, Ford brought back the hump for nostalgia and to help "soften the blow" of the new Cougar's styling. One thing is for certain: without the hump, this car would have a very uninspiring back end. However, the hump has since created havoc for those wishing to adorn it with an aftermarket spoiler. A semi-rare option was a chromed luggage rack that was not really as functional as it looked (remember, in those days a luggage rack was almost considered a spoiler!). The trunk lock is nicely chiseled into the lid; who even thinks of doing that these days?

28 The 1983-84 model's wide three-tiered taillamps, also a nod to 1977 styling, featured a round backup light in the center with an embossed Cougar emblem.

From 1985-86, the Cougar received a smooth taillamp with unique smoked lenses. According to Ford, the idea was that the taillamps appeared black until the brakes were depressed, when they "magically" turned red.

29 A deep cavity between the taillamps leads back to the license plate. This helps in protecting the plate from road debris, allows easier illumination at night, and provides a convenient place from which to lift the trunklid.

30 Finally, the same integrated molding finds its way into the smooth rear bumper. Viewed from the side, both the bumper and the trunklid have ever-so-slight curves, much less pronounced than the curve of the rear window. It is in this formality that the Cougar helped preserve familiar shapes and win sales.

ABOVE: The 1985-86 Cougar smoked taillamps.

ABOVE: The 1979-81 Firebird Trans Am also featured smoked taillamps. While the Cougar was certainly not to the first to have such a style, it helped to start a trend of cars doing the same afterward, including the Chevrolet Beretta and even the next iteration of the Cougar's cousin, the 1987-88 Thunderbird.