1968 Mercury Cougar GT-E

Pony car powered by 1968 Cougar GT-E 427/428 FE V8 range.

Stock-appearing 1968 Mercury Cougar displaying the GT-E hood, grille, argent lower body, and styled-wheel cues

Package 7.0 Litre GT-E on standard Cougar or XR-7

Engines 390-hp 427 or later 340-hp 428 Cobra Jet

Transmissions 391 C6 automatics; three late four-speeds

Production 394 total: 357 with 427, 37 with 428

Chassis Super Competition Handling and power front discs

Story

1968 Mercury Cougar GT-E

The GT-E was Mercury's 7.0 Litre performance package for both the standard Cougar and the more luxurious XR-7 hardtop. Those two interiors, the early 427 and later 428 Cobra Jet, and the rare late four-speed are configurations of one 1968 GT-E story, not reasons to create duplicate pages.

The first 357 cars used the W-code 427 rated at 390 horsepower and a C6 automatic. The 428 Cobra Jet followed during the model year: the registry records 37 R-code cars, 34 with the C6 and three XR-7s with a four-speed. Every GT-E combined big-block power with the Super Competition Handling Package, power steering, power front discs, styled-steel wheels, a blacked-out grille, 7.0 Litre GT-E badges, quad exhaust tips, a power-dome hood, and silver-gray lower-body paint.

Those visible pieces are easy to reproduce. Authenticate an individual GT-E from the complete car record: VIN and data plate, factory invoice or build record, body and engine configuration, transmission and axle codes, scheduled build date, component identifiers and dates, original finishes, and ownership history. A W or R engine code, hood scoop, argent paint, badges, or replacement FE engine is useful evidence but is not sufficient by itself.

**Exact-year Cougar rear view showing the model-year body, brightwork, fuel door, and sequential-lamp housing; the photograph does not establish GT-E identity.**IFCAR via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Specs

Car type: Pony car
Body: standard Cougar 65A or XR-7 65B two-door hardtop
Engine: Ford FE 427 four-barrel or 428 Cobra Jet Ram Air V8
Horsepower: 427: 390 gross hp; 428 Cobra Jet: 340 gross hp in GT-E registry specifications
Torque: Factory figure varies by engine and dated specification
Carburetion: Single four-barrel with bright engine dress-up; Ram Air on the 428 application

Equipment

Super Competition Handling Package
power front disc brakes and power steering
FR70-14 radial-ply tires on styled-steel wheels
power-dome hood and blacked-out grille
argent lower body and 7.0 Litre GT-E badges
quad chrome exhaust outlets

Linked Parts

Price history

Values

Nominal dollars from original price sheets, auction archives, and approved value references.

Original Price

Base MSRP $4,221

Cougar GT-E (1968)
Secondary model-guide base price; destination, options, and individual delivered price require the original invoice.
1968 Mercury Cougar GT-E model overview

Market Observations

Auction sale $77,000

Jul 2, 2022 · Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas via Hagerty
W-code automatic 8F91W533574 after an older restoration and rebody. · modified · excellent Completed sale; rebody and non-matching-numbers limits make this a modified-car observation.
1968 Cougar GT-E 8F91W533574 past sale
High bid $165,000

Oct 8, 2021 · Bring a Trailer
R-code XR-7 four-speed 8F93R572934 with 3.90 Traction-Lok, extensive paperwork, long storage, and disclosed body repairs. · survivor · unknown Reserve-not-met high bid, not a completed sale; registry rarity and auction representations remain scoped.
1968 Cougar GT-E XR-7 four-speed 8F93R572934
Auction sale $49,500

May 17, 2018 · Mecum Indianapolis via Hagerty
W-code standard Cougar automatic 8F91W549243 in #3 Good condition. · unknown · good Completed sale; archive summary does not establish restoration or numbers-matching status.
1968 Cougar GT-E 8F91W549243 past sale
Auction sale $99,000

Apr 8, 2017 · Mecum Houston via Hagerty
W-code XR-7 automatic 8F93W537798 with 3.50 axle, Marti Report, and mostly preserved presentation. · survivor · good Completed sale; newer upholstery and visible wear are explicit, and the archive's erroneous approximate production comment is excluded.
1968 Cougar GT-E 8F93W537798 past sale

Values move with paperwork, originality, options, condition, venue, and body style. High bids and guide values are labeled separately from completed sales.

Reference records

Options, Colors & Components

Source-backed details for trim, chassis, production, and authenticity.

Engine Details

W-code 427 four-barrel 390 gross hp; hydraulic-lifter FE 427 · 357 GT-Es, all registry-recorded with C6 automatic · engine assembly / specification
R-code 428 Cobra Jet Ram Air 340 gross hp in GT-E package records · 37 late GT-Es; 34 C6 and three four-speed · engine assembly / specification
427-4V factory AMA specification 90-degree OHV V8; 4.23 x 3.78-inch bore and stroke; 10.9:1 compression; cast-iron block and heads; 390 gross hp at 5,600 rpm and 460 lb-ft at 3,200 rpm · W-code GT-E engine; premium fuel; all 357 registry-recorded GT-Es used the C6 automatic · engine assembly / specification
428-4V factory AMA specification 90-degree OHV V8; the revised AMA prints 4.18 x 3.98-inch bore and stroke while the factory-derived fact sheet reports 4.13 x 3.98; 10.66:1 compression; cast-iron block and heads; 335 gross hp at 5,400 rpm and 440 lb-ft at 3,400 rpm · R-code Cobra Jet GT-E; premium fuel; the bore conflict and the AMA's 335-hp rating versus the 340-hp GT-E package record remain explicit · engine assembly / specification
427/428 hydraulic valve train Hydraulic lifters; 270-degree intake and 290-degree exhaust duration; 46-degree overlap; 0.481-inch intake and 0.490-inch exhaust lift at zero lash · Factory AMA table shared by the Cougar 427-4V and 428-4V · valve train / specification
427-4V automatic carburetor Holley C8OF-AB, one four-barrel · W-code GT-E with C6 automatic; the AMA also lists a generic 427 manual row, but the GT-E registry records no 427 four-speed cars · carburetor / engineering number
428-4V carburetors by transmission Holley C8OF-AA with manual transmission; Holley C8OF-AB with automatic transmission; one four-barrel · R-code GT-E; registry records three four-speeds and 34 C6 automatics · carburetor / engineering number
427/428 fuel system Mechanical pump on the left side of the engine; 4.5-6.5 psi; automatic choke; hot-and-cold air-cleaner system with dry replaceable element · Factory AMA 427-4V and 428-4V fuel-system columns · fuel pump / specification
427/428 lubrication system Rotor oil pump, stationary shrouded sump screen, full-flow replaceable filter, and four-quart refill excluding filter; 427 pressure 45-65 psi at 2,000 rpm and 428 pressure 40-70 psi at 2,000 rpm · Factory AMA 427-4V and 428-4V service specifications · other / specification
Bright engine dress-up Chrome rocker covers, oil cap, dipstick, radiator cap, and air-cleaner housing · GT-E package · air cleaner / specification
Exhaust Dual exhaust with quad chrome outlet tips · GT-E package · other / specification

Transmission

Factory transmission C6 Select-Shift Merc-O-Matic on all 357 registry-recorded 427 cars and 34 of 37 428 cars
Factory transmission Toploader four-speed manual on three registry-recorded 428 XR-7 cars

Options

427 and 428 Power reference for the 1968 Mercury Cougar GT-EClassic Muscle · Reference illustration

GT-E 7.0 Litre GT-E package required · performance · Defining engine, C6, handling, brake, steering, wheel, tire, hood, grille, badge, exhaust, and argent lower-body group; the late 428/four-speed running change is part of the same identity.
65A Standard Cougar hardtop factory · appearance · GT-E package was available on the standard Cougar body and interior path.
65B Cougar XR-7 hardtop factory · appearance · GT-E package was also available with the XR-7 leather/comfort-weave luxury interior path.

Paint

A Black Onyx factory · solid
B Black Cherry factory · metallic
D Nordic Blue Poly factory · metallic
F Madras Blue Poly factory · metallic
I Lime Frost Poly factory · metallic
Q Glacier Blue Poly factory · metallic
R Augusta Green Poly factory · metallic
T Cardinal Red factory · solid
U Caribbean Blue Poly factory · metallic
X Wellington Blue Poly factory · metallic
Y Grecian Gold Poly factory · metallic
3 Calypso Coral factory · special-order

Appearance

Power-dome hood with simulated intakes standard · hood
7.0 Litre GT-E fender badges standard · badge
Blacked-out grille and argent lower body standard · other
Styled-steel wheels and FR70-14 tires standard · wheel

Interior

Standard Cougar bucket-seat interior factory · seat
XR-7 leather or Comfort-Weave interior factory · upholstery
Cougar/XR-7 instrumentation factory · gauge

Chassis

Super Competition Handling Package front suspension Suspension · required
Live rear axle on semi-elliptic leaf springs Suspension · required
Power-assisted front discs and rear drums Brakes · required
Ford 9-inch conventional axle Rear axle · 3.50 on 282 registry-recorded cars · factory
Ford Traction-Lok axle Rear axle · 3.25, 3.50, or 3.90 · limited-slip · factory

Production

Transmission Split reference for the 1968 Mercury Cougar GT-EClassic Muscle · Reference illustration

all 1968 Cougar GT-E total · 394 · documented
W-code 427 by engine · 357 · documented
R-code 428 Cobra Jet by engine · 37 · documented
C6 Select-Shift automatic by transmission · 391 · documented
Toploader four-speed manual by transmission · 3 · documented

Authenticity

Axle Combinations reference for the 1968 Mercury Cougar GT-EClassic Muscle · Reference illustration

GT-E package identity A documented 1968 standard Cougar or XR-7 ordered with the GT-E package. · Factory invoice, build record or Elite Marti report, VIN/data plate, buck tag where present, and ownership history. · fraud detection
Engine path W-code 427 or late R-code 428 Cobra Jet supported by the complete car record and date-compatible components. · VIN, invoice/build record, block and component identifiers and dates, and service history. · numbers matching
Transmission and axle 427 cars use C6; 428 cars use the documented C6 or one of three registry-recorded four-speeds, with the axle matching car records. · Data plate, invoice/build report, transmission case/tag, axle tag, and component dates. · numbers matching
Paint, trim, and interior Door-tag color and trim agree with a documented GT-E color, argent lower treatment, and standard or XR-7 upholstery path. · Data plate, build record, protected original paint, moldings, upholstery construction, and trim codes. · trim correctness

Still Researching

engine The revised factory AMA now establishes 427/428 architecture, output, valve-train, carburetor, fuel, and lubrication specifications, but a complete dated GT-E casting, assembly, ancillary-component, and revision matrix remains unresolved.
production The 394 total and engine/transmission splits are stable, but two registry surfaces shift one 427 car between standard and XR-7 allocation.
paint colors The GT-E color table accounts for 393 of 394 cars and does not identify the remaining record's finish.
interior Factory and club references establish standard and XR-7 trim families, but the full GT-E production count by individual trim code is not available.