THE STORY Unveiled at the height of Detroit’s muscle-car era, the 1970 Mercury Cougar XR-7 convertible represented Mercury’s vision of a more refined, upscale performance car — an elegant counterpart to the Mustang, with a distinctly luxurious identity. Positioned as the flagship of the Cougar lineup, the XR-7 blended European-inspired styling cues with American V8 power, capturing a unique balance of comfort and raw capability.
Under the long, sculpted bonnet lived a range of powerful Ford V8 engines, with the most common being the 351 Windsor and 351 Cleveland small-blocks, both offering smooth and generous torque ideal for open-top cruising. Paired with either a three-speed automatic or a four-speed manual transmission, the Cougar delivered strong straight-line performance while maintaining the composed road manners that defined the Mercury brand. Optional Traction-Lok differentials and upgraded suspension components further sharpened its handling without compromising its comfortable ride.
With production numbers relatively low for convertibles, the 1970 XR-7 stands today as one of Mercury’s most desirable classics. It represents a moment when style, comfort and performance converged into a single expression of grand touring. More than fifty years later, the XR-7 convertible remains a celebrated symbol of Mercury’s golden era.
THE CAR What started life as a stock 1970 Mercury Cougar XR-7 convertible has been transformed into a tough resto-mod XR-7 that would not look out of place on the set of Mad Max.
Finished in Black with a Dark Ivy green interior, she features XR-7 woodgrain accents and blacked out chrome all over.
Under the hood sits a Ford 351ci V8 with 2V heads, an alloy radiator and intake, and a Holley EFI Sniper conversion. The FMX automatic transmission has been rebuilt, and she sports an 8 ¾ inch Ford Mustang differential. Stopping power comes from a 6-piston Willwood disc brake conversion with drilled rotors, and red brake calipers all round compliment the 20`` custom black KMC alloy wheels she sits on.
The front and rear end have been lowered, the car has been converted to RHD and features power steering.
On the inside a fully customisable LCD touch screen sits in place where the original gauge cluster sat. The original gauge cluster and intake manifold are sold with the vehicle.
Photos of the vehicle restoration are on file.
A power convertible in excellent condition, this is one fantastic and tough-looking cruiser.
