How many Mercury Cougars are left in New Zealand?
Rare 1 in 38,319 on the road Built 1967-1990 American
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
Mercury's take on the Ford Mustang, launched for 1967 on a longer wheelbase with more luxury, headlamps hidden behind a slatted grille and tail-lights that blinked in sequence. It was Motor Trend's Car of the Year on its debut, and XR-7 and Eliminator versions followed. Through the 1970s and 1980s it grew into a personal luxury coupe related to the Ford Thunderbird.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1969: 34 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1967 | 21 |
| 1968 | 33 |
| 1969 | 34 |
| 1970 | 13 |
| 1971 | 5 |
| 1972 | 4 |
| 1973 | 3 |
| 1974 | 1 |
| 1977 | 1 |
| 1978 | 2 |
| 1979 | 1 |
| 1984 | 1 |
| 1986 | 1 |
| 1989 | 1 |
| 1990 | 1 |
By badge
The versions the register records, most numerous first.
| Which one | Built | Left | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| XR-7 | 16 | Rare |
What Rare means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 122 still registered, the Mercury Cougar is Rare: the grade for cars with 25 to 174 left.
By how many are left it ranks 1st of the 20 Mercury models and equal 988th of all 2,903 cars in Spotto's catalogue.
The six grades: Common, 8,000 or more · Uncommon, 1,200 to 7,999 · Scarce, 175 to 1,199 · Rare, 25 to 174 · Super rare, 5 to 24 · Unicorn, fewer than 5.
Seen one?
Spotto grades every car on New Zealand roads by how many are still registered, down to the generation and the badge. Log the ones you spot, build a collection, and see who else has found one.