While one can make the argument that the Shelby Mustang is the most famous Mustang of all time, you could make many of the same arguments for the Boss 302 Mustangs. These Trans Am dominating 302 cubic-inch engines could only be had in a handful of cars, including the Mustang’s cousin the Mercury Cougar.

While the Mercury brand is dead and buried, remnants of its former greatness still remain. RK Motors Charlotte has for sale a 1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminator with the famous Boss 302 engine option. While not a numbers-matching vehicle, this Cougar was pretty much the classiest muscle car you could by, bordering on actual luxury.

But make no mistake, the Cougar was all brawn beneath that glossy interior. Painted a very white-looking original paint code color “Pastel Blue”, this Cougar wears the Eliminator package. This adds a special spoiler, a front chin scoop, a black hood scoop, striping, and Eliminator badges.

With an original invoice price of over $4,500, today a comparable car would be priced more like $45,000. That’s a lot of cash, and today you’ll have to shell out around $85,000 to get behind the wheel. Looking at this awesome and classy muscle car now, we can’t help but wonder what a 21st century Cougar might have looked like. This particular Cougar has a luxurious interior compared to many other muscle cars, along with a wood-trimmed dashboard, power front disc brakes, and even a Hurst shifter for the 4-speed transmission. 

It was, in effect, a fully-optioned muscle car and cruiser that was as comfortable as it was fast. We’d like to imagine a modern Cougar might be a more upscale Mustang with a plusher ride but just as much horsepower. Was Ford right to kill the Mercury brand, or are cars like this Cougar a fitting tribute to a brand past its expiration date?