Thoughts on a First Car - 1990 Mercury Cougar XR7

 I was recently asked a great question. Tell me about your first car. Such a simple question. However, once I started it brought back some great memories. What I came up with is below.

It was a 1990 Mercury Cougar XR7 in Bright Red Clearcoat over Ebony leather. It had a supercharged 3.8-liter V6 and a four-speed automatic transmission. I often think back fondly on the hours spent behind the wheel of that car.

One of my favorite memories is cruising the backroads during a late Michigan fall—windows down, a brisk chill blowing through the cabin, U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name” playing, and no destination in mind—just driving to drive. The soft green glow of the dash and radio cut through the darkness like the proverbial streetlights coming on when you were a kid: time to head home.

I was obsessed with keeping it clean and well-maintained, spending my free time washing, waxing, and detailing it over and over—completely captivated by the freedom that mechanical wonder gave me.

Eventually, I sold the Cougar to a friend. It was later wrecked beyond repair and sent to a scrapyard, where it met its final demise. Part of me still feels like I let that little Cougar down. But the times we shared were spectacular.

I still keep an eye out to see if a duplicate ever pops up for sale. Not yet, though. Not yet.