Soon after the 1967 Cougar was unveiled to the public, Mercury began offering a high performance version dubbed the "XR-7". There has generally been an XR7 model throughout the history of the Cougar. Some were not performance oriented; in fact, in a few model years, the only version of the car WAS the XR7. This section deals with the history of the XR7 model in its various forms.

What's With The Hyphen?
If you'll notice, there are two different ways to spell this version of the Cougar: either "XR-7" or "XR7". Technically, only the 1993-97 models were the "XR7", and all previous cars were "XR-7". All you need to do is look at the badging for the car and see for yourself. If you're getting picky about it, then you'll want to put the hyphen where it belongs. Otherwise, we all know what's being talking about. It's just easier to type without the dash so you'll mostly see that version throughout this site.

The Ford / Mercury XR Series
Long before Mercury put the XR-7 badge on the Cougar in '67, Ford of Australia and Europe were using the XR-series names for their cars. The "XR" stands for Experimental Racing. In the 1980's and 1990's, Mercury USA used the XR-series monikers for some of their uplevel cars, including the following:

• Capri XR2
• Lynx XR3
• Merkur XR4Ti
• Topaz XR5
• Cougar XR7

Recently there was the Ford Falcon of Australia with their XR-6 and XR-8 versions. And they did have an old XR-1 in the land down under. That completes all numbers, 1 through 8. Cool, eh? Not all of the XR-series cars from the U.S. were performance oriented though. About the only things one can safely say about them is that they all had bigger rims and blacked-out window trim. But we know better when it comes to the Cougar XR7. It was the only true performance car in the XR-series in the U.S.

The Only Model
As previously mentioned, there were a few model years when the only model of the Cougar was the XR7. All models from 1974-76 were XR-7's. In 1980, when Mercury changed the Cougar over to the Fox chassis, the only body style offered was the XR-7 coupe. (The next year, the Cat line expanded with a 2-door GS and 4-door; in 1982 a station wagon was added). And from 1993-97, all Cougars were known as the 'Cougar XR7'. In contrast, the only year that the rear-drive Cougars didn't have an XR7 model was in 1983, with the introduction of the all-new aero Cougar. Ford snuck out the sister Thunderbird Turbo Coupe in late 1983 but Mercury waited until the beginning of the 1984 model year to introduce the turbocharged XR7.

Limited Production
Throughout the history of the XR7 model, it can generally be said that they were limited in production, not counting the years in which it was the only model. For example, the XR7 accounted for only 4 percent of Cougar sales in 1984. By contrast, the XR7 made up a total of a whopping 75 percent of sales in 1978, the biggest sales year ever for the Cougar. They averaged roughly 5 to 10 percent of production per model year otherwise. Among the most desirable XR7's are 1969-73 convertibles (especially the big blocks), and the 1989-90's with the 3.8 supercharged engine mated to the Mazda 5-speed transmission. The 1984-86 XR7's also could be had with the T-5 5-speed manual and are not common.

Future XR7?
With the advent of the front-drive Cougar on the streets, many people had been speculating about a high-performance model, possibly named "XR7" or "Eliminator". We never got to see a factory hi-po FWD Cat but in the 2002 model year, there was a Cougar XR model. It was similar to the 2001 Cougar C2, with bigger wheels, hood scoop and upgraded interior. This showed that Ford was at least thinking about naming it an XR7. If there ever is another Cougar vehicle (and chances are there will be), you can bet that Ford will go back to its roots and dig up the XR7 moniker for a special version of the vehicle.

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