The one car we are probably most proud of is Cougar 1, the first production Cougar made – serial number 500001.  We first saw this car when previous owner, Marc Ogren,  pulled it out of Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. It was hard to believe this was the first production Cougar until we lifted the fender and cleaned off the apron to expose the serial number.  For the next couple years we saw the car at a few shows then in 1996 current owners Jim and Elaine Pinkerton  purchased the car and requested we do a museum quality restoration.  In June 1997 the car was completed and shipped to Carlisle, PA for the All Ford Show celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Cougar. It still resides in Snohomish, WA.

The age of digital cameras was just getting started back in 96 so most of the restoration photos are printed.  We are currently converting a bunch of them to digital images.  The photos below are courtesy of Rich Truesdell/LegendaryCougar.com. from a photo shoot done in July 2014.  In addition there is also a very information video of owner Jim Pinkerton talking about the history and uniqueness of Cougar 1.  The video is courtesy of  West Coast Cougar.

Update – April 30, 2017.  Cougar 1 is now for sale.  Here is a link to the website information.

https://cougar-1.com/

In June 2017, Cougar 1 was awarded the Historic Vehicle Association National Automotive Heritage Award.  This award recognizes cars of historic significance. A well deserved award.