This is a 1967 Mercury Cougar with the rare “Dan Gurney Special” option package which included the 289 cubic inch V8, chrome engine accents, and turbine-style covers on the 14″ wheels.
It’s not known exactly how many examples of the Dan Gurney Special were made, and many aren’t even aware it existed at all. The car you see above and below here is one of them, since 2023 the car has had a major service, which included replacement of the battery, starter motor, alternator, voltage regulator, and all four tires.
Fast Facts – The Mercury Cougar “Dan Gurney Special”
- This 1967 Mercury Cougar is a “Dan Gurney Special,” a limited edition model featuring a 289 cubic inch V8 engine, chrome accents, and unique turbine-style wheel covers. The exact number produced is unknown, as the package could be installed either at the factory or dealership.
- Dan Gurney, a renowned American racing driver, engineer, and team owner, competed in various motorsports disciplines including Formula 1, IndyCar, NASCAR, and endurance racing. He took numerous victories and invented the “Gurney flap” which is still used in motorsport today.
- The Dan Gurney Special package was primarily cosmetic, unlike Carroll Shelby’s heavily modified Mustangs. It featured signature decals, chrome engine details, and aesthetic upgrades, along with the performance of the 289 cubic inch V8 engine.
- The featured 1967 Cougar Dan Gurney Special, finished in Metallic Green with Lime Gold vinyl upholstery, is currently up for auction in Ohio. The car has undergone recent servicing, including new tires, and comes with a Deluxe Marti Report and a clean title.
Who Was Dan Gurney?
Dan Gurney was an American racing driver, engineer, and racing team owner. He’s widely regarded as one of motorsport’s most versatile and innovative figures, both behind the wheel and behind the pit wall.
The Dan Gurney Special was marketed heavily, this should be no surprise as Gurney was one of the most famous racing drivers in the country, and one of the most famous in the world at the time. Image courtesy of the Ford Archives.
Born in Port Jefferson, New York, Gurney’s career spanned multiple racing disciplines, including Formula 1, IndyCar, NASCAR, and endurance racing. He achieved success in all of them, becoming one of the few drivers to win in each of these categories – a feat only rarely achieved.
Gurney’s racing career began in the 1950s, and he quickly made a name for himself in Formula One, debuting in 1959. Over his F1 career, he secured four wins and 19 podium finishes, driving for top teams including Ferrari, Brabham, and Porsche.
His victory at the 1967 Belgian Grand Prix marked the first and only time an American driver won an F1 race in a car of his own construction, the Eagle-Weslake. Since this time, no other American-built Formula 1 car has won a race.
In 1962, Gurney co-founded All American Racers (AAR) with Carroll Shelby, a team that built the legendary Eagle racing cars. Gurney’s engineering acumen led to several innovations in car design and race strategy, including the introduction of the “Gurney flap,” a small aerodynamic device that increases the vehicle’s downforce when it’s deployed.
In addition to Formula 1, Gurney won races in NASCAR, including at Riverside International Raceway, and had notable success in endurance racing, with a victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1967. That same year, he popularized the practice of spraying champagne on the podium, a tradition that continues today.
The Mercury Cougar “Dan Gurney Special”
Carroll Shelby’s legendary improved version of the Ford Mustang, the Shelby GT350, may very well have been the inspiration behind the creation of the Dan Gurney Special version of the Mercury Cougar.
The Mercury Cougar was based on the same platform as the Ford Mustang, but it was intended as more of a personal luxury car rather than an out-and-out performance car. Image courtesy of the Ford Archives.
It’s important to note that the Shelby GT350 was a far more involved build, with a vast array of engine, suspension, brake, and other upgrades to make the car a genuine contender on track.
The Dan Gurney Special Cougar was more of a cosmetic package, with chrome engine accents, turbine-style covers on the 14″ wheels, F70 x 14 wide-oval nylon cord whitewall tires, and a Dan Gurney signature decal. The package did also specify the fitment of the 289 cubic inch V8.
Exactly how many examples of the Dan Gurney Special Cougar were built seems to be a matter of debate, this isn’t helped by the fact that the package could be installed either at the factory, or at the dealership, making exact numbers difficult to compile.
The 1967 Dan Gurney Special Cougar Shown Here
The vehicle you see here is one of the original Dan Gurney Special Cougars from 1967, it’s finished in Metallic Green over Lime Gold vinyl upholstery and it’s powered by a 289 cubic inch (4.7 liter) Ford V8 sending power back through a 3-speed automatic transmission.
Additional options fitted to this car include an AM radio, air conditioning, front bucket seats, a dual exhaust system, and it has a Dan Gurney Special sticker on the right-rear quarter window.
The car has four-wheel drum brakes and it rides on 14″ steel wheels with turbine-style covers and 195/75 Uniroyal Tiger Paw tires which were fitted in 2023. The original color of this car was apparently Sage Gold, and it was repainted in its current color at some point in the 1980s.
When it left the factory, this car was rated as having 200 bhp and 282 lb ft of torque, breathing through a dual-barrel carburetor. The Cougar was developed as a more luxurious version of the Ford Mustang, and under the outer sheet metal the two cars have a lot of parts in common.
This Dan Gurney Special Cougar should be approached as a project car of sorts, it does have a few rust spots and the interior could do with a refresh as well.
The Dan Gurney Special you see in this article is now being offered for sale out of Westerville, Ohio on Bring a Trailer with a Deluxe Marti Report, an owner’s manual, and a clean Ohio title in the seller’s name.
It’s being offered at no reserve and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more about it or register to bid.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
