When the first Ford Mustang rolled off the showroom floor in the middle of the 1964 model year it was an immediate sales success. It was a dead simple vehicle, and not much of a runner, or as Carroll “Snakebite” Shelby himself was fond of saying, it was a “Secretary’s Car.” But that didn’t dampen the interest of newly adult Baby Boomers with tons of disposable income who descended upon Ford showrooms to option their new Mustangs as 2 door coupes, fastbacks or convertibles with an assortment of engine and transmission options. It wasn’t particularly known for its racing pedigree, until suitably prepared of course, but it did have the benefit of being a bona fide bargain at only $2,368 out the door.Given its popularity, and as Ford was eager to sell even more models, Mercury took the Mustang chassis and fashioned a pony car of their own. And thus was born, the Mercury Cougar first appearing in the 1967 model year. One such model was the famed Cougar Boss Eliminator that was a more comfortable and laid back version of the Boss 302 Mustang. But this is not to say that the Boss Eliminators had no edge because they were every bit as fierce as their Ford stablemates. Let’s take a look at this pristine example of the breed – a 1970 Boss 302 Powered Mercury Cougar Eliminator.

The Eliminator

via Hemmings

According to the seller, “[t]his magnificent Mercury Cougar Eliminator “Boss” is one of only 2,268 Eliminators built in 1970. It’s one of only 469 equipped with the Boss 302 V8 engine and one of only 323 equipped with the 4-speed close ratio manual transmission. This car was added to the Mercury Cougar Eliminator Registry in August of 1988. It has been with the last owner since 2003. It was the product of a four year rotisserie restoration which was completed in 2008. It was correctly restored to show quality condition throughout. It’s won over 30 prestigious awards which are listed below and included. It was also featured in multiple magazines and on Power Nation T.V. The magazines and DVD are included.” Just check out the awards above in the main pic. Wow!

That Beautiful Motor

Under the hood is the legendary Ford Boss 302 engine that rampaged across U.S racetracks and proved a winning formula on the Trans Am circuit. This particular car “was ordered on July 14th, 1969 by Forrest Gate Ford located in Chattanooga, TN. The dealer ordered the car as a stock-dealer demonstrator. As the VIN number indicates it was a 1970 Cougar with a 302 -4V Boss engine. It was painted Competition Orange with Black Clarion Knit Décor bucket seats. It was equipped with a four-speed close ratio manual transmission and 3.91 traction-Lok axle ratio.”

Multiple Award Winner

As you can see, no expense was spared in the restoration and assembly of this vehicle. And with less than 200 examples of the car known to exist its rarity is even more pronounced. Given it history, documentation and provenance, the $119,900 asking price doesn’t seem too high at all. And with skyrocketing prices of Boss Mustangs, this will only appreciate in the future. Buckle up.