#8328 • "The Sopranos" 1996 Mercury Villager Minivan

Part of Legends of Hollywood & Music Auction (timed auction by GWS Auctions)

Starting at $1.00

Status: Sold

Est. $25,000-$30,000 "The Sopranos" (1999-2007) 1996 Mercury Villager Minivan Driven by James Gandolfini *Museum Exhibited* - This 1996 Mercury Villager van was used in the production of the hit television series "The Sopranos". This van was used during the filming of the 15th episode of season 6, which has been called one of the most outstanding episodes of the series, and was a stepping stone to the end of "The Sopranos". The characters "Tony" and "Paulie" (portrayed by James Gandolfini and Tony Sirico) spent a good amount of time in this vehicle, reminiscing while heading to Florida to stay one step ahead of the Feds. This is one of the last vehicles that Tony drove in in the series other than his Escalade, and is possibly the only minivan that James Gandolfini drove on film. There were two Mercury Villagers used for the production of this episode, and the other was a 1997 used for outside shots, which was later destroyed. This 1996 Villager was used for the interior shots of the episode, which was approx. 95% of the vehicle footage in the episode. The vehicle is fitted with multiple brackets to hold cameras and lights, and will come with a copy of the title from New Jersey, to "Movie Time Cars Inc.", which supplied HBO with vehicles for "The Sopranos". This vehicle has been exhibited at the Celebrity Car Museum in Branson, Mo. "The Sopranos" is widely regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time. The series has won a multitude of awards, including Peabody Awards for its first two seasons, 21 Primetime Emmy Awards and five Golden Globe Awards. The series has been the subject of critical analysis, controversy, parody, and has led to books, a video game, high-charting soundtrack albums, and a large amount of highly collectible merchandise. In 2013, the Writers Guild of America named The Sopranos the best-written TV series of all time, while TV Guide ranked it the best television series of all time.