Ford grew its Mustang bodies for 1967 with a 2-inch length increase, a taller cabin, and a 2.5-inch wider body to allow bigger engines. The Mercury Division chose 1967 to create its own version of the iconic Mustang, to be launched as the 'Mercury Cougar'. The Cougar was built on a 111-inch wheelbase compared to 108-inches for the Mustang, but underneath the sheet metal the cars were essentially the same. The Cougar sold at about a 12 per cent premium over the Mustang. Mercury intended the Cougar to be less 'boy racer' and more 'European' than the Mustang, but it was still available with power options. Standard wear was the 200bhp Mustang 289, also available as 225bhp, whilst the GT package got the 390 cu.in. V8. 150,000 Mercury Cougars were sold off the first years production, but fell to 110,000 for 1968. For 1968 Ford offered the 302 210bhp V8 in place of the 289, and there was a hotter 230hp option. A rare edition was the GT-E with 427 cu.in V8 but only 338 were made. The 390 option continued now in standard or tuned versions. Mercury revised the Cougar for 1969 inline with the Mustangs, stretching its length by 3.5 inches and its width by 3; A convertible option was introduced. More enlargement happened for 1971 with an inch on the wheelbase, six on the length and 3 on the width; these were in line with the current Mustangs with which the Cougar now shared a body.