Mercury Cougar races through its first year IRVINE, Calif.,  - At an age when many one-year-olds are just starting to walk, the Mercury Cougar has sprinted past the competition to become the hottest-selling car in its segment. And like plenty of other yearlings, Cougar shows absolutely no signs of slowing down the pace. Consider: More than 55,000 sales since being introduced one year ago. More than 11,000 sales in just the past two months alone. Cougar has dramatically changed the type of buyer shopping at Mercury dealerships. Cougar is building excitement with after-market modifiers at a never-seen-before pace. "The redesigned Cougar has been a great addition to the Mercury portfolio," said Jennifer Moneagle, the new Mercury group brand manager. "We expected the new Cougar to signal the rebirth of the Mercury brand, increase sales over the previous model and attract a more active-lifestyle buyer to our showrooms. One year later, I say "mission accomplished.'" New Mercury Buyers The new Cougar is responsible for attracting many first-time Mercury buyers into Mercury dealerships. More than 60 percent of Cougar customers are new to the Mercury brand, many of them never having previously set foot in a Mercury dealership. On average, Cougar buyers are 39 years old, 20 percent are between the ages of 17 - 24, and about 60 percent are female. "Developing a new customer base for Mercury has been paramount to the success the Cougar has attained," said Mike Jennings, Cougar brand manager. "The 1999 Cougar has proven that Mercury can attract a decidedly young and female set of customers and also bring innovative and unique products to market." A Hit with the After Market After-market manufacturers were quick to seize on the fact that the redesigned Cougar would be a hit with customers who want to customize and improve the performance of the Cougar. The 1999 Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) show - a litmus test for the expected popularity of a product - saw the introduction of at least seven modified Cougars. Wings West of Newport Beach, California, one of the first after-market manufacturers to capitalize on Cougar's early success, has emerged as a top Cougar modifier. It was their entry that won the Lincoln Mercury award for best after-market design at last year's SEMA show. "The exterior styling of the Cougar easily lends itself to enhancement," said Ernie Brunnell, Wings West, vice president of sales and marketing. "I think it is safe to say there soon will be many modified Cougars on the road, both here in California and throughout the country." Customer Reaction Customers love their Cougars. In March of 1999 a group of enthusiastic owners established a website (www.newcougar.org) for sharing information. The New Edge Cougar Owners (NECO) hope to provide new and prospective owners of the 1999 Cougar with unbiased information. They also hope to nurture and promote the development of an after-market for the latest generation of Cougar enthusiasts. "To date, we have received an overwhelmingly positive feedback from consumers, manufacturers, and retailers," said Darwin R. Pinder Jr., one of the founding members of NECO and a resident of DeQuincy, Louisiana. "I chose the Cougar for its styling, performance and practicability - its got tons of trunk space with enough room for two humans in the back seat." The Mercury product line also includes the Mountaineer, Villager, Grand Marquis, Tracer, Mystique and Sable, which will be significantly redesigned for the 2000 model year. For information on Mercury products visit www.mercuryvehicles.com or to schedule a test drive visit www.mercurydrive.com.