1969 Cougar 428 Cobra Jet Dyno Don Super Cat

This 69 "Super Cat" Cougar 428 Cobra Jet was the 1969 Car Craft Magazine Project Car featured and built by "Dyno Don" Nicholson in conjunction with Lincoln Mercury, and Coca Cola. If you remember the "Mod Generation" and "Flower Power" times, you will see those influences in this car. It was featured in a series of Car Craft magazine issues in 1969 as built by "Dyno Don". He balanced, blueprinted the 428, and added some of his personal tricks and touches. It was then shipped around the country to various Auto Promotional Events. Additionally "Dyno Don" took it to various Races to make exhibition runs during a major NHRA event.

At Auto shows Lincoln Mercury had the exhibit of this car with "Dyno Don" in attendence. They had a slogan saying join the "Streep Scene". It was a word derived from Street/Strip combined to make one word. We know, it sounds corny to us too! But what they did have which was neat, was an early version video exhibit as part of their display. It was comprised of two seats behind a screen in which a person was able to sit alongside "Dyno Don" and go for a trip down the dragstrip as if you were in his race car. Possibly the first type of virtual reality video. This was in the "Dyno Don" Funny car that he campaigned with the name "Eliminator" on the side of it. It is most likely the origin of the name for "Cougar Eliminator".

After this, the "Super Cat" was turned over to the Coca Cola Corporation to became a give away contest car. Coca Cola expanded on the "Eliminator" theme in their contest by saying become a "Thirst Eliminator" by buying a coca Cola card, and enter the contest for the car. You would see this full page contest ad on the back of many car magazine covers.

MPC model company made a model of this car in that time frame as well. When the "Super Cat" was re-found several years ago, it still sported the original graphics/names and logos as it had not been re-painted. But it was severely faded and deteriorated, requiring extensive restoration to the way you see it here today.