The Mustang never really joined a bandwagon — it had its own bandwagon. Trends in the industry were for other cars, not Ford’s pony car. Mercury, on the other hand, wasn’t above joining the fray. In fact, the Cougar had joined the fray by design, so there was nothing of which to be too proud. Our Pick of the Day, a 1969 Mercury Cougar Eliminator, not only joined a trend, but it also was an early participant in the trend, which we’ll explain below. This Cougar is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Apex, North Carolina. (Click the link to view the listing)

Ford and Mercury had problems with its street reputation when the 1968 model year began: the 390 wasn’t good competition to solid-lifter 396s and Ram Air Pontiacs, and there wasn’t a smaller alternative to compete with the small-block Chevrolet and 340 Mopar. For 1969, that was rectified by the advent of the 351 Windsor. With a four-barrel carburetor, it was good for 290 horsepower, about on par with the 350 that was used in the Camaro and Nova SS. That, plus the April 1968 introduction of the 428 Cobra Jet, helped give Ford and Mercury parity on the street. Add the Boss 302 and, for the most part, Ford and Mercury were competing toe-to-toe with Chevrolet and were competitive with all performance brands on the street and the track.

And what about that trend? Stripes and spoilers were becoming a thing in 1969, perhaps most famously done by the Hurst/Olds. The GTO followed suit with the Judge package in January 1969, the same month Mercury introduced the Cyclone Spoiler. In March, the Cougar Eliminator was announced after a special custom show car toured the auto show circuit.

Based on the standard Cougar hardtop, the Eliminator package included a blacked-out grille, body-color hood scoop (non-functional except when ordered with the 428 Cobra Jet with ram air), remote driver-side racing mirror, matte black front spoiler, body-color rear spoiler, Eliminator stripes, 12-slot argent wheels, and rocker panel moldings. Inside, Eliminators featured high-back buckets in black, white, or blue, black crinkle-finish dashboard, full instrumentation, Visual Check Panel, ET clock, rim-blow steering wheel, Custom door trim, rear seat armrests, and door courtesy lights.

Under the hood, the 351 four-barrel was included with the Eliminator package, contrasting sharply with the Mustang Mach I’s standard 351 two-barrel. Optional was the 390 GT, 428 CJ, and Boss 302. Also included was 3.50 gearing, performance handling package, and F70 x 14-inch black sidewall tires. Available colors were Competition Orange, Bright Blue, Yellow, or White.

This Competition Orange 1969 Mercury Cougar Eliminator features the standard 351 four-barrel, one of 1,145 Eliminators built with the 351/auto combination. Per the odometer, it shows only 78,000 miles. For extra oomph, Edelbrock Performer heads, Crane cam, lifter, and roller rockers, and an Offenhauser intake and headers have been added to produce over 450 horsepower, per the seller. “Starts easily and runs well,” he adds. “Amazing interior with working original clock.” Options include air conditioning, power steering and brakes, console, AM/8-track (replaced by aftermarket radio), and bumper guards. The original 14-inch wheels have been replaced with 15-inch Magnum 500s, and ram air has been added too.

Going by the above, this car sounds perfect for the enthusiasts who always wanted a boisterous muscle car but desires the comfort of air conditioning because, let’s be honest, we’re all older. Plus, it comes with a parts car. For $65,000 OBO, now’s your chance!