The 1978 iteration was the most successful fourth-generation release, with over 213K Cougars and 166K XR-7s, while the 1979 model year witnessed a drop to only 172K cars.

Cars like this 1978 Mercury Cougar XR7, which can be found for sale on Hemmings.com, have been ignored, derided and are otherwise viewed as unworthy of attention. The fourth-generation Cougar is ...