Mercury Cougar GT-E (1968)

To start with, the Cougar was more of a refined cruiser, a sort of upmarket Mustang. But just a year on in 1968 Ford went with the flow of demand and shoehorned in their 427ci (6.9-liter) big-block to create the GT-E. Inside it retained its luxury with overhead map lights, a long center console and wood grained dash. Underneath it was beefed up with traction bars, heavy-duty suspension, Traction Lock limited-slip differential and 3.91:1 gears. The engine ran at 10.9:1 compression and had the option of two four-barrel carbs to feed its huge thirst. This made the Cougar a fearsome street racer, with 14 seconds possible at the strip once a 'super tune' of adjusting the timing and removing the air filter had been carried out. The GT-E was replaced by the Eliminator in 1969 and 1970, showing how much the public liked what Ford were doing.

Mercury Cougar GT-E (1968) Specifications