The 1969 Mercury Cougar 390 Eliminator was one of the most fun and exciting muscle cars of the ’60s. It didn’t try to hide its racing inspirations, it embraced them and made them a part of its personality. The Cougar was a luxury-musclecar, but the Eliminator was named appropriately. It appealed to many with its long wheel base, rear spoiler and iconic rear tail lights.

Other styling ques include the horizontal front grill with the hidden head lights and bumpers that wrap around the body. It’s a car that looked fast even when she’s sitting still. It boasts this fact with racing strip which runs along the doors with the word “ELIMINATOR” boldly displayed at the end of it. In the video above from V8TV, we get to see more than just a few pictures of the car in action.

Unlike most drag racing performance packages of the 1960s, the Eliminator did not have a spartan interior but rather all the luxurious you’d expect from its big brothers. A wood grain interior, AM/FM radio and a clock on the dash were included. The base 1969 Mercury Cougar Eliminator was equipped with the 351 Windsor motor, while the top of the line had the 428CJ. A Few had the Boss 302 option and two cars rolled off the assembly line with the 429 mill as race cars. This one was the middle package equipped with the 320 horsepower 390 FE engine. Each engine gave the Eliminator a different personality. For instance, the 302 was more high revving, designed more for road racing, while the 428 was a monster meant for the quarter mile.

The 390 produced 427 lb-ft of torque to make this car an effective stop light drag racer. Behind the 390 is the C6 three-speed auto which is attached to a Ford 9-inch rear with 3.50 gears and posi.

The Cougar Eliminator was a wild ride and quite possibly the closest thing to a super stock drag car that ordinary people experienced. Sadly these cars were only produced in their purest forms for two years (1969 and 1970) before the Cougar began to evolve into a luxury car. It’s “hot wheels” like styling, bright paint and it’s nickname Eliminator are features that speak to our inner child. Which is why we love these cars, they toy that’s designed to be raced at every stop light.