If there ever was a hard luck performance engine during the muscle car era, FoMoCo’s 390 would be it. As a basic workhorse, it was as good as any engine; as a performance engine, it left a lot to be desired. Though our Pick of the Day, a 1969 Mercury Cougar convertible, is equipped with the 390, it’s still an honest-to-goodness big-block ragtop with tons of torque. It is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Englewood, Colorado.
Though a fine addition to its fleets in 1961, and available with up to 401 horsepower via 3×2 carburetion, the 390’s place as a top performance engine was short-lived since Ford introduced the 406 the following year. The competition also had gone bigger with a 421 here, a 413 there and, of course, a 409 everywhere (well, on the streets and the radio). Ford and Mercury continued to offer stout 390s through 1964, but they were now dwarfed by 7-liter engines (even from within FoMoCo), if not the GTO appeared and started a new trend.
Ford and Mercury rose to the challenge with the 1966 Fairlane GT and Cyclone GT, respectively, but the 335-horsepower 390 didn’t offer the kind of performance needed to beat Tri-Power GTOs, solid-lifter Chevelle Super Sports, and Hemi-powered Mopars. Ford offered a 427 Fairlane, but only 57 were built. Another 230 were built the following year, plus another 60 Comets.
The high-performance 390 fluctuated in horsepower in subsequent years, rated at 320 in 1967, then 325 and 320 in its final year in 1969. Compare that with GM’s best 6.5-liter engines from the era and it was clear that Ford wasn’t developing the 390’s potential. FoMoCo certainly had all the parts to make the 390 scream, but it did not offer that to consumers off the showroom floor. Interesting trivia: Ford sold more 428 Cobra Jet Mustangs in 1969 than 390 Mustangs.
That Mustang was redesigned in 1969, but so was its cousin, the Mercury Cougar. Though still retaining its 111-inch wheelbase, the Cougar grew 3.5 inches and was wider by almost 4 inches. A crease along the sides swept from the front to the rear wheel well. The grille was a new full-width affair, now flat aside of a convex portion in the middle, and the taillights were now concave and no longer were interrupted by the license plate. A new small-block, the 351, became the standard powerplant, with a four-barrel version offering 290 horsepower; it also was the basis for the 351 Performance Package, a replacement for the GT package that included identifying stripes on the hood. Above the 390 was the 428 Cobra Jet, which was available with or without ram air induction. Mid-year, the Eliminator performance package was introduced, an early submission to the striped-and-spoilered trend that was picking up.
This restored 1969 Mercury Cougar convertible is a base model and not an XR-7. It is one of 124 equipped with the S-code 390 engine, of which 102 were hooked to an automatic. Take a look at the Marti Report and you’ll note the long list of equipment on this one, such as Extra Cooling package, Convenience Check Group, courtesy lights, electric clock, power windows, console, power front disc brakes, power steering, AM/8-track radio, tinted glass, remote left-hand racing mirror, heavy-duty battery, door edge guards, and Styled Steel wheels. That list reeks of XR-7 fanciness but lacks the XR-7’s leather and vinyl interior, instead sporting the optional black Décor interior.
Presented in the factory combination of triple black, this Cougar was a special-order vehicle as indicated by the Sales Vehicle order type, which means it “was ordered by the Marketing Department and used to demonstrate and promote to dealerships,” according to Kevin Marti. For $59,900, this Cougar’s torque will likely make you forget its hard-luck history—a big-block ragtop is all that matters.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com