Don Nicholson's 428CJ Cougar - It's repair and restoration

I got the R Code car home this week and immediately ordered a Marti Report which came yesterday. This is the first one that I have seen with “Marketing Vehicle” order type. Anyone else ever seen one? If so do you know anything about the history of the car that would merit this kind of order?

Wow! You know it is an amazing car when just reading the Marti makes your heart beat faster. IICRC my 71 429 CJ 4spd vert vin 500017 a “Marketing Vehicle” order type.

I’d be willing to bet it had something to do with the car going to “Dyno” Don.

Maybe it somehow denotes to the accounting dept. that the vehicle was either given away or sold very cheap?

That would be a cool Cougar to bring to Carlisle next summer Royce :wink:

  • Phillip

That is very interesting and possibly very cool. Especially since it looks like the dealer is the sales office. I’ll 2nd the thought the car was a promo car, or race or test car. Peaks my interest as if I remember, not long ago a bunch of vipers were built and donated to tech institutions with the agreement they would never be registered/sold/driven because they didn’t have all the mandated safety and so on equipment. :smoke:

That is probably the coolest Marti Report I have ever seen.

Don you will be getting a lot of part orders for this one’s restoration. Thankfully the car has no rust and its drivetrain is intact and original to the car. But it needs everything else. Should be a good one.


I spoke to Don about this car in 2001. He said that Mercury was always giving him new cars. He sat in my 68 1/2 R code car and said that he had a red one just like it in '68. At that time I had no idea the car still existed. Strange that it found its way to me after all these years.




Congratulations, Royce! Would you please post some photos?

It was released and sold on my birthday. Man I hated selling that car but it couldn’t have gone to a better caretaker.

Here are a couple of photos:

Royce the Fast Eddie Schartman 69 CJ was a marketing car also. I just assumed it was for for him to promote the brand by providing a no charge daily driver.

Have fun Royce

Congratulations Royce: XR7, Auto, ‘Drag Pak’

That car guy on TV would say that’s a" WIN, WIN, WIN" :laughing:

Man Royce- That car is AWESOME!!!. I love it. Just fantastic.

Really cool Royce, looking forward to seeing it in person one of these days!

Really cool. This makes me want to order a Marti Report on my 1968 Cougar XR-7 GTE 428CJ that I bought new in June 1968. I wonder if this report can be done with just that amount of info and the city and state it was sold?? I know that it was the only one like it sold at that dealership in Bristol, TN.

^^^ My family is is from Emory Virginia, about 20 minutes up 81 from Bristol. Been to Bristol many, many times since I was little.

Do you still have your original window sticker?

You should definitely order a Marti - Marti reports are a lot of fun and a great resource.

  • Phillip

Phillip, I am originally from Kingsport, TN which is of course part of the Tri Cities (Kingsport, Bristol and Johnson City). I now live in Gainesville, GA. Unfortunately I traded my Cougar for a 1970 Monte Carlo because the Cougar didn’t have air conditioning. I didn’t keep anything and it’s been 46 years. I used to be in the Virginia Army National Guard with a friend who lives close to where you are now. We were in the Richland, VA guard unit together (it was that or be drafted in 1966). I’m going to call Marti tomorrow and see what info I need to get the deluxe report. It would be cool to have it as I will never have the car again.

It may make you a bit sad, but you should get the Marti on your old GT-E.

I love looking over Marti Reports. Whenever people post them I always keep a copy for my files.

Added Royce’s to my collection right away! :beerchug:

  • Phillip

Congrats again - Very cool car! Thanks for posting the pix.