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Phillip Payne’s Polar White ’68 XR7-G

A classic white muscle car parked on a paved surface surrounded by trees, showcasing its sleek design and shiny wheels.

The Basics

  • Owner: Phillip Payne, Mechanicsville, Va.
  • Mileage: 81,718
  • Engine: 390-4V
  • Transmission: C6 automatic
  • Rear End: Original 9-inch 3:00 Equa-Lock Power Transfer Axle
  • Body Color: Polar White
  • Interior Color: Dark Red

Options

  • Sun roof
  • Disc brakes
  • Power steering
  • Tilt-Away steering wheel
  • Speed control
  • Locking rear end
  • Air conditioning
  • AM/FM stereo radio
  • Heavy-duty suspension
  • Rear-mounted power antenna (dealer installed)

This Cat’s Tale

“I’ve owned five Cougars, dating back to my first car in 1976. In those pre-Internet days, accurate information regarding what different model Cougars Mercury offered plus what factory options were available was not easy to come by.

My ideal Cougar presented itself when I discovered the XR7-G option and its connection to Shelby Automotive. Being active in the classic Cougar community enabled me to work my way up the Cougar food chain, and when this XR7-G was offered for sale in 2015, I was lucky enough to be able to work out a deal.

It was barely running when it arrived from Arizona and being a “desert car,” the interior was cooked. But the body was in great shape with all the rare G-unique parts present. Also, as luck would have it, I had the perfect engine block, courtesy of fellow Delmarva Cougar Club member Carlton Wright (the block that came with the car was not original, but the head with the VIN and many of the other components were original).

With the help of DCC members David Ayers, Jim Karamanis, Ralph Pagington, and Kermit Burroughs, I was able to get her running and operational again. Special thanks goes to fellow club member David Ayers. If it wasn’t for David, this G would have limped off the transport truck and into my garage, where it wouldn’t have moved again, gathering dust and being used as a shelf for the past 11 years.”

Notes

Phillip is a former DCC president and current Cougar Club of America (CCOA) XR7-G Registrar. He owns no other Cougars or classic vehicles (“I’m a one-Cougar-at-a-time kinda guy,” he jokes). A “mostly” retired graphic artist and illustrator, Phillip’s original work is well known throughout the Cougar community. He designed the DCC logo and every club T-shirt since the club’s earliest days. He also has been the source of logos and shirts for the CCOA and other regional clubs, as well as shirts and logos for special events, such as the DCC’s 2023 show in Solomons, Md.

Phillip’s other interests are many, he says, including being a “music nut/vinyl junky,” and collecting vintage Cougar print collateral and dealer publications—in particular, items related to the 1967 Bud Moore Engineering Trans-Am/NASCAR Grand Touring Cougars.

His dream car? “I would love to own ‘El Gato,’ the custom show car Cougar Mercury had built in 1970.”