If you’ve spent any time in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, you know the car scene here is alive and thriving. Sun, sand, and wide boulevards make it the perfect backdrop for classics to stretch their legs year-round.
And every spring, one of my favorite events, Run to the Sun, brings thousands of hot rods, muscle cars, and customs to the Grand Strand. It’s the kind of place where a car like Kevin Cornwell’s 1970 Mercury Cougar feels right at home.
I was first introduced to the car during a weekend getaway in Myrtle Beach. At a local cruise-in, my good friend Bobby Siebenmark walked me over and said, “You’ve got to check this one out.” Sitting there was Kevin’s Cougar, gleaming under the lights and drawing plenty of attention. It didn’t take long to see why—it’s one of those cars that grabs you right away.
Kevin moved to Myrtle Beach from Hagerstown, Maryland, about three years ago. Back in Maryland, the car would’ve been stored from October through April—hibernating while snow and salt took over the roads. Here, the Cougar lives a far better life, cruising the coast nearly every weekend. “You get to enjoy these cars year-round down here,” Kevin says. “That was a big part of the draw for me.”
His Cougar started life as an XR7, but over the years it’s evolved into an Eliminator tribute. Under the hood sits a stout 351 Cleveland, pushing around 400 horsepower with help from a Boss 351 intake manifold, 11.5:1 compression, a Lunati cam, and a Holley Street Avenger carb. Power runs through a Ford Racing T5 transmission topped with a Hurst T-handle shifter—Kevin’s favorite upgrade. “Probably the 5-speed,” he says without hesitation. “I love it. So fun to drive.” Out back, a 9-inch rear with 3.73 gears helps get that power to the pavement.
The build is tasteful but purposeful, with chrome under the hood, 17-inch black-and-polished wheels, and Nitto rubber filling the fenders. It’s no trailer queen—Kevin drives it everywhere, from local cruise-ins to road trips. Back in Maryland, he often ran the Cougar out to Ocean City, a three-hour drive he remembers fondly. These days, it’s just as likely to be seen cruising Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach, drawing looks and thumbs-ups the whole way.
This isn’t Kevin’s first Cougar. His love for the model goes back to 1981, when fresh out of high school, he spotted one in someone’s backyard at a party and bought it the very next day—for just $200. That passion never went away, and when he came across his current ’70 back in 2004, he knew it had to be his. “When I first saw it, I had to have it,” he says.
The car’s nickname came more recently. In Myrtle Beach, Kevin connected with Bob Bush, a local car guy who’s known for giving out nicknames. He dubbed Kevin’s ride “Kitty,” a name that’s stuck ever since.
The Cougar has earned its share of recognition, including a spotlight from Fast Fords magazine after Kevin caught the eye of the editor at the Carlisle Ford Show in 2007. That moment stands out as one of the coolest in his car journey.
What’s next? Kevin plans to add Vintage Air for comfort, and if the budget was unlimited, he admits he’d love to transform the car into a full-blown pro-touring build, complete with a modern supercharged Coyote or Godzilla engine. But for now, Kitty is exactly what he wants it to be: a fun, driver-friendly classic that brings smiles wherever it goes.
Kevin is quick to credit the support of the Delmarva Cougar Club, the Only Fords Club in Myrtle Beach, his Mustang buddies who let him tag along, and of course, Bobby Mustang himself. “Nine Mustangs and one lonely Cougar,” Kevin laughs. “I tell them I’m the rose among the thorns.”
Alive, well, and always moving, Myrtle Beach’s car culture has a heartbeat you can hear in the rumble of cars like Kevin Cornwell’s Cougar. And with events like Run to the Sun keeping the flame lit, Kitty has plenty of boulevards left to prowl.
