For the 1990 model year, Mercury asked ASC to produce a one-off Cougar XR7 convertible for the auto show car circuit. Then-Mercury chief Ross Roberts was probing the public and gauging their reaction as to whether or not a production version was feasible. Being that the Cougar was all new in 1989, and reliability was still unknown at that time, Mercury decided not to pursue this car. Too bad. Not only would it have given Mercury a bigger convertible (vs. the Capri), but it would also have totally outpowered the competition - namely, the Chrysler LeBaron and Olds Cutlass Supreme convertibles. And it would have been the first factory Cougar convertible offered in quite some time. As far as is known, this is the only copy of this car and ASC has it socked away in storage somewhere. An interesting part of Cougar history.