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Writer's pictureStory Cars

1998 Mercury Villager Gametime Concept

Press Release


With Mercury’s new Gametime Villager concept, any stadium is a tailgate party in the making. Whether at the alma mater’s homecoming, an outdoor concert, family reunion or kid’s soccer game, Mercury’s concept Gametime Villager will be the center of attention.

Villager is a natural for tailgate-type activities, and the Gametime concept vehicle takes the theme to an extreme. Mercury designers incorporated a wide range of ideas into the vehicle, and many of the modifications are readily available from aftermarket sources.

The starting point for the Gametime concept was a 1999 Villager, powered by a 3.3-liter SOHC V-6. Exterior styling is altered with the addition of new front and rear fascias and bolder body-side cladding. The front fascia features a lower air opening and recessed PIAA fog lamps. A distinctive vertical bar grille insert with a "Flying M" emblem sustains the Mercury identity.

Not one, but two sliding canvas sunroofs from Hollandia provide additional ventilation and are perfect for sunny days. The rear liftgate features a fitted tent canopy to provide a little protection from the elements on those classic fall football days. To pull in those away games, there’s a retractable satellite dish that stows easily for travel. The exterior of Gametime Villager is covered with a coat of high metallic Cabernet Red paint.

Gametime Villager has been lowered slightly with a set of Roush Racing springs at all four corners. Hand-cut 235/50R18 Michelin concept tires are mounted on TSW Hockenheim-R 18-inch alloy wheels. Dual DynoMax exhaust tips add a performance flare to the custom exterior treatment.

As you might imagine, the inside of Gametime is something special. The plush surroundings are trimmed with two-tone leather, and the seats are embroidered with Mercury logos. Naturally, there is also plenty of interior storage room for tailgating essentials like an ice chest, collapsible picnic table and chairs, and a BBQ grill.

Perhaps the most unique aspect is the built-in rear entertainment module that features side-mounted stereo speakers, ice bucket, humidor, storage and integrated DVD player. The video feed from either the DVD player or the satellite dish can be viewed on the plasma 21-inch flat panel monitor, which is built into the module.

Pregame, postgame or any time in the great outdoors is the perfect time to enjoy Gametime Villager concept from Mercury. It’s a tailgate party waiting to happen.




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