Cougar #1

Cars & Parts Magazine helped bring it to recognition

Words and Photos by Carlisle Events

Found near Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada in 1994 in a Quonset hut (a steel barn-type building), Cougar #1 has roots dating back to 1966. It was in March of that year that Ford Motor Company, as amazing as it may seem, put the Mercury in a shipping facility on the Bay of Fundy near Moncton. Lee Iacocca and other Ford executives were present for the dedication, as were local dealers, including Dryden Motors, the oldest Ford/Lincoln/Mercury dealer in Canada.

Dryden sent their dealer principal to the event and in turn, was able to communicate directly with Iacocca and convince him to place Mercury Cougars at their dealership. Iacocca’s first move was to place a factory show car in the Dryden Motors’ showroom. The show car could not be sold, however, because it did not include the Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin. Instead, the car sat for 35 months at a local car wash.

At the end of the nearly three-year lease, the car returned to the dealership until 1979. When the dealer principal died, the dealership lost its personal service contract with Lincoln/Mercury and filed for bankruptcy. The car was ultimately auctioned and awarded to a local hardware dealer named Dale Garland.

Garland drove the car for a few years, but in 1982, decided to sell it via Cars & Parts Magazine (now part of PPN). No one ever came to see the car, and it never sold. Fast forward to 1994 and that’s where Mark Ogden, a member of the Cougar Club, comes into play.

Ogden was at a swap meet and happened upon the old issue of Cars & Parts. Ogden contacted Garland, and against odds, he still had the car, which had been stored 12 years after the initial sales attempt.

Armed with this information, Ogden went to his next Cougar Club meeting which is where Jim Pinkerton, the current owner of the car enters the story. After some wheeling and dealing, Garland and Pinkerton came to a deal and the car traded hands for the last time. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Cougar – a muscle car that was the perfect blend of Mustang power and Mercury luxury. And the rest is history.

Source: Carlisle Events, CarlisleEvents.com

About the author

PPN Editor

Power & Performance News is the source for news, tech and products that help you get more performance from your vehicle. If powertrain performance projects and hardcore technical content are your interest, Power & Performance News is the publication designed for you. Our acclaimed editorial staff covers all aspects of engine and driveline upgrades with a mission of presenting information that is both interesting and achievable for the “average car guy”.
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