Parnelli Jones' Cougar experienced some pit-stop misfortune and Ford ended up winning the title by a mere two points. Going into the season finale, the record book showed four wins for the Mustang and four wins for the Cougar, definitely a surprise to the Ford camp. The car's first win came in Texas, and Peter Revson subbed to make it two in a row with a Lime Rock victory. Cougar started in the front row in the first event at Daytona, which set the stage for the rest of the year.
This newcomer (another newcomer, Camaro, was entered as well) proved more than adequate. Mercury put the Cougar to the test, going head-to-head with Mustangs, Barracudas, and Darts. There is no better proof than the Group II racing campaign (also known as Trans-Am racing) of the Sports Car Club of America in 1967. They were noted for their style and luxury as far as the sales approach went, but there was always the idea that a Cougar would make a fine race car. It was the success of the Cougar that allowed the company to claim "Lincoln Mercury leads the way." The slogan "Try Cougar and see how great a winner can be" urged buyers to consider the car and check out the luxury offerings available at the Mercury showroom, at times keeping them from the Ford dealer down the street. The success of the Cougar led to the idea of quality "at the Sign of the Cat," utilizing a snarling cougar perched atop a Lincoln Mercury sign. The popularity of the car allowed Mercury to position itself as a player. The Mercury line was once seen in the shadow of Ford, but the Cougar changed all that. It's become a sad end to an American icon, arguably the car that bolstered the Mercury line into prominence among a competitive automotive society. Mercury continued to build the car until a decision about a year ago to terminate the brand, one of four product lines ousted from the Ford family. As the years hurtled toward the 21st century, Cougar searched for its own identity in a world of cookie-cutter domestic cars.
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