Rare 1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminator Coupe in Competition Orange Is a True Boss 302

You could get an Eliminator with any regular Cougar engine, like a Windsor or a Cleveland V8, but only the Boss 302 unit stood as a spec-exclusive affair.

Mercury built roughly 4,500 Eliminators, but only 323 cars fitted with the Boss 302 V8, which means this specimen here is pretty darn rare. It’s a 1970 model year car, wearing Competition Orange to go with a black vinyl interior.

The best part is that you’ll be able to bid on it come July 26 as part of Mecum’s Harrisburg 2024 lot. If you’re wondering how much this thing is worth, know that you’re not alone. Let’s break it down by stating the obvious – we've seen 428 Cobra Jet or Super Cobra Jet-powered Eliminators sell for anywhere from $70,000 to $100,000.

If I was a betting man, and I am, I’d say this one here is going to flirt with that six-digit number. It’s probably worth just over $100k, now that I think about it. I mean, it’s stunning, and according to the ad, it’s a “southern car”, which means the body has never been exposed to cold weather and everything else that comes with that (like rock salt for the roads).

This baby was built in Dearborn, Michigan in October of 1969. The Competition Orange paint is a factory finish (although the vehicle has undergone a full restoration since then), and the following features were equipped from the get-go: Eliminator Package, F70X14 belted raised white letter tires, power front disc brakes, power steering, AM radio, rear seat speaker, Rallye wheel covers.

Not only is this one of 323 units with these engine/transmission codes, it’s also one of just 588 cars with these paint/trim codes.

As you can see, the interior is pristine, and those black vinyl hi-back bucket seats look good-as-new, as does the Hurst T-handle shifter.

In terms of performance, the Boss 302 V8 engine is good for 290 horsepower, sending everything to the rear wheels via a four-speed close ratio manual transmission.

To reiterate, this isn’t the most powerful Mercury Cougar you can buy, nor is it the quickest (duh). You’ve got both the 390 and the 428 CJ packing more of a punch by 1969 standards. The following year, the 390 was dropped and only the 428 CJ and the Boss 302 remained as flagship specs, while the entry-level 351 ‘Cleveland’ V8 had 300 horsepower of its own.

So, what’s your favorite Cougar Eliminator engine?