Mercury Rings in the New Year at the 1999 L.A. Auto Show
30 December 1998
Mercury Rings in the New Year at the 1999 L.A. Auto Show
LOS ANGELES--(AutomotiveWire)--Dec. 30, 1998--The 1999 Greater L.A. Auto Show marks the start of a new era for Mercury. After their move to Southern California early this year, Mercury's first "hometown" appearance at the Los Angeles show is a demonstration of its renewed commitment to providing diverse vehicles to meet the needs of its customers.
Mercury had the world unveiling of the Cougar S performance-oriented concept car at the show, and displayed the Mercury Marauder and Cougar Eliminator concept cars. Their evolving 1999 line-up including Cougar, Grand Marquis, Mountaineer, Sable and Villager, was also on display.
"Mercury is building a broad range of products to meet the changing demand of our customers," said Jim Rogers, vice president of Marketing for Lincoln Mercury. "The Cougar S, Marauder, and Cougar Eliminator concept cars that are at the show are just a hint at the exciting new attitude that Lincoln Mercury is embracing as a company and an automotive manufacturer."
The Cougar S concept car was designed specifically for driving enthusiasts with a passion for high performance. With a 215 horsepower, 3.0 liter engine, an all-wheel drive system and 18-inch wheels and tires, the Cougar S is ready to handle any road condition. The Cougar S also features styling enhancements including a unique front fascia featuring integrated fog lamps and a lower brushed aluminum grille for improved cooling. A dual-spoiler treatment and integrated exhaust pipes at the rear of the vehicle complete the high-performance look of the Cougar S.
The Mercury Marauder concept was first introduced at the 1998 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in November. It is a supercharged, 300 horsepower Grand Marquis with a finely tuned suspension package as well as custom wheels and high-performance tires.
The SEMA show also played host to the Cougar Eliminator concept car, named after the factory-tuned Cougar of 30 years ago. The Eliminator includes a list of modifications, including: a Vortech supercharger, K&N Air filter, Borla exhaust modifications, Brembo brake enhancements, performance wheels and tires and a modified suspension system that lowers the ride height 1.5 inches.
"Mercury's priority is our customers," said Rogers. "It is important that we be responsive to what the market demands, while at the same time breaking out of the mold and leading the industry into the 21st century. At the L.A. Auto show we're doing just that."
