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Zebulon, North Carolina: Big Mercury Cougar

15-foot-tall cat statue advertising the Mercury Cougar brand was built in 1972, stood at a Raleigh dealership, and then at several locations in Zebulon.

Address:
1011 W. Gannon Ave., Zebulon, NC
Directions:
West edge of town, on the south side of Hwy 97/W. Gannon Ave., just west of the graveyard. On wheels, so it might not be there when you are.
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Visitor Tips and News About Big Mercury Cougar

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Cougar statue.

Big Mercury Cougar

This 15-foot, beautiful cat sits in the same location on West Gannon Ave., but it looks like Carolina Classic Cars has gone out of business. The paint on the big cat has seen better days, and I don't think the trailer is usable any longer the way it is deteriorating.

[Mark Dolejs, 08/21/2021]

Mercury Cougar.

Big Mercury Cougar

The Mercury Cougar statue has moved a couple of blocks down the street. It's now out in front of Carolina Classic Cars. I suppose the fact that this cat is on wheels makes it easy to move this guy around -- this is its third location in Zebulon.

[Dean Jeffrey, 02/27/2018]

Cougar statue.

Big Mercury Cougar

The big cat is out in front of Howden Classic Cars, which is in a building that used to be a Ford dealership. There are a few awesomely cool vintage cars in the showroom.

[Dean Jeffrey, 05/14/2013]
Big Mercury Cougar

The Cat was moved about 1/2 mile down the road this summer, but can still be seen along Gannon Avenue.

[Editor, The Grey Area, 12/10/2011]
Big Mercury Cougar

The cougar statue used to sit atop Chris Leith Mercury on Capitol Boulevard (US Highway 1 South) in Raleigh. I remember it definitely being up there in the late 1980s. It was long gone by the mid-1990s, once Leith moved all their dealerships to the North Raleigh area. The building has housed a number of used car dealerships and auto body and detail shops since then.

[Andrew, 05/13/2011]

Nearby Offbeat Places

Lizard Lick ATMLizard Lick ATM, Lizard Lick, NC - 2 mi.
Baseball Water TowerBaseball Water Tower, Zebulon, NC - 4 mi.
Mural: World's Largest Tobacco WormMural: World's Largest Tobacco Worm, Wendell, NC - 3 mi.
In the region:
Gotno Farm Dog, Raleigh, NC - 18 mi.

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