Custom Cougar
Debut Series Sweet Sixteen
Produced 1968 (Original)
2018 (Retool)
Designer Harry Bradley (Original)
Mark Jones (2018 Re-Tool)
Number 6205
Custom Cougar Descriptions
The Custom Cougar was a Hot Wheels casting designed by Harry Bradley based on the the 1967 Mercury Cougar. It debuted in the 1968 basic car line as part of the Original 16 castings. Every version of the car had a die-cast body, die-cast chassis, redline wheels, bent-axle suspension, and Spectraflame paint. The casting was originally available in only two colors, Spectraflame Blue and Spectraflame Orange. Subsequent releases expanded the colors.
Like many of the other original 16, The Custom Cougar had details in the first run that were left off in subsequent runs. For the Cougar it was the painted "tooth." The center part of the grill was painted the same as the body color. This only happened on the early runs.
Also early run cars had color-keyed interiors. The Blue Cougar with a blue interior is fairly common. Later issues find it with any of the other assorted color interiors. Black roofs were found on the Cougars, also. Only some Hong Kong casting came with the "vinyl" top. The Olive Cougar is one that commonly has the black roof.