The Probe/Cougar was the last vehicle I worked with as a Ford Design
Engineer, I retired in 1986.  The car that was sold as the 1999 Mercury
Cougar, and as the Ford Cougar in Europe, was a Ford design that we built
off a  Mazda FWD chassis.   It was originally to be the 1989 Ford Probe, but
Ford pulled the plug on the poor selling Probe, to settle on the Mustang as
its sporty model in 1999.    Mustang sales have been fantastic ever since so
I guess the move was correct

FWD sporty cars just do sell to traditional sporty car buyers.   FWD sporty
cars where selling primarily to female drivers who were satisfied with the
inferior handling of FWD vehicles.    Mercury had a better change of
attracting the female  buyers, and the 1998 Ford Probe became the 1999
Mercury/Ford Cougar.

Sales were originally better for the car as a Mercury then they were for the
last Probe, even though Ford had added more standard equipment and lowered
the price by $1,400 on the 1997 Probe.   Woman do not buy new cars as often
as men and Cougar sales in 2000 were below those of the 1997 Probe and
tanked after that and the decision made to drop the car.

mike hunt

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