The first gullwing of Ford

Maybe so far many people think that the car model that applied the gullwing door-type in the 1950s to 1960s was the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. But did you know that there are also American-made cars that have used the gullwing door-type. The car is the Ford Cougar 406, a concept car made in 1962 by Ford one of the leading American car manufacturers.

1962 Ford Cougar 406 designed by Dean Jeffries and uses a new 406 cubic inch V8 engine developed 405 horsepower and 448 pound-feet of torque. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3fgb2Mv)

The D-523 "Cougar" was an experimental Ford built on a Thunderbird chassis, with fuel injection. This car was designed by Dean Jeffries in Gil Spear’s studio in 1954, largely by Samsen. And the Cougar concept car itself is Ford's answer to the 'wave' of sports cars from Europe, and will initially be positioned above the Mustang and Thunderbird, to compete with the best cars from outside the US.

Interior view of 1962 Ford
Cougar 406 Concept. (Picture from:
https://bit.ly/3fgb2Mv)

The Ford Cougar 406 was debuting at the 1962 Chicago show. This futuristic concept car featured top-hinged, electrically operated gull-wing doors like the iconic German car mentioned above. Further, its new 406 cubic inch V8 engine developed 405 horsepower and 448 pound-feet of torque.

Another unique features also pinned onto it such as swing-up headlights were concealed in tips of the fenders. This was the second Ford concept car to wear the Cougar nameplate. The original was a 3/8-scale model from 1956 and Mercury first applied the Cougar moniker on a 1967 with a two-door hardtop pony car was built based on the Mustang.

1962 Ford Cougar 406 featured top-hinged, electrically operated gull-wing doors. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3fgb2Mv)

In 1963, Ford Cougar 406 had become a star when it was used by director David Swift for the movie version of the Frederick Brisson's Broadway famous comedy-drama, titled 'Under the Yum Yum Tree,' starring by Jack Lemmon, Carol Lynley, Dean Jones, Imogene Coca and Paul Lynde. On the movie, the concept car was appeared in the gorgeous 'Candy Apple Red' color.

The existence of this concept car is now unknown. But there's an updated info, as quoted from Kustomrama that they received an email from Terry W in September, 2018. According to Terry, the Cougar is currently located in Detroit, Michigan; "The owners name is Joe Moridian. I know he owned it up until at least 5 years ago, and probably still does. It is a somewhat well known fact here in the Detroit area. However, I don't believe anyone has seen the car in many years." *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CARSTYLING.RU | MYCARQUEST | KUSTOMRAMA]

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