1970 Mercury El Gato Concept

To say this Cat was before its time would be a serious understatement. Sporting a bold lime green paint job, El Gato (Spanish for "The Cat") was produced as a styling exercise for a futuristic-looking Cougar. Note the shaved door handles, chopped roof, and ultracool three-spoke 16" wheels with new-at-the-time Goodyear Polyglass radials.

This was the first-ever fastback Cougar. While the front end merged styling from the Cougar and the GTO, it still projected an evil stance. Note how the limited flat black striping ends inside the molded-on hood scoop. Also, the front and rear pans were rolled, a very advanced-looking feature in an era of chrome bumpers.

At the rear, the racing-style gas filler cap broke LTD-style taillamps at the left. The square center-exit exhaust tips lent a unique air to the car. It is not known if El Gato still exists, but it's presumed to have been destroyed (standard Ford practice for show vehicles at the time).

Source: www.coolcats.net

Images: Concept Car Central