1968 Cougar XR-7 427 GTE

What is it about a car-line model designation that quickens the pulse?

The Cougar GTE is a special, limited-production cat Mercury brought to us one year and one year only--1968.

The GTE was a super-sporty, ultra-elegant Cougar that prowled in its own neck of the jungle. It wasn't just a fast factory musclecar, it was an elegant fast factory musclecar with rich woodgrain appointments, leather, lots of accessories, and a stealthy demeanor it still has today.

Early in the '68 model year, ordering a Cougar GTE meant getting the awesome power of a 427ci big-block with a hydraulic camshaft. After April 1, 1968, ordering a GTE meant the newly introduced "poop" of a more powerful 428ci Cobra Jet with greater torque and horsepower ratings.