Movie cars have always been popular in the collector car circle. Traditionally the highest value cars were the ones actually used on-screen. Replicas of movie and television cars (think General Lee or the Gran Torino from Starsky & Hutch) were neat, but never held much value. Recently, even replicas have been rising in value as the kids from the 1970s and 80s are now middle-aged and have money to spend on nostalgia from their childhood. In fact, we featured a replica station wagon based on the movie National Lampoon’s Vacation here on Barn Finds in April. That car was sold at Barrett-Jackson and realized an all-in price of over $100,000! Another iconic movie replica car is being auctioned this month and it comes from the epic 1987 John Hughes classic Planes, Trains & Automobiles. The Thanksgiving movie starring Steve Martin and John Candy is a must watch each fall for my family! If you’ve always wanted to own a unique movie car, this one is up for bid at Barrett-Jackson’s Northeast auction being held in Connecticut June 26-29. Let’s check out more of this awesome tribute car!
If you’ve never seen the movie, it follows Neal Page (Martin) as he tries to get from New York to Chicago in an attempt to return home for Thanksgiving. Along the way, he meets Del Griffith (Candy) and they soon become entangled together in their adventures to get home. As the title implies, they travel by planes, trains, and automobiles and one of those automobiles is a Chrysler LeBaron convertible. Unfortunately, the car is severely damaged when it squeezes between two semis on the interstate followed by a car fire.
This particular car is a 1983 and the interior looks pretty good. It is said to have 82,000 original miles and features air conditioning, power windows, and power steering and brakes. It also has the unique Texas Instruments Electronic Voice Alert where the car will talk to you. There are two dozen messages that will tell you about the condition of the car.
The details on this car are great, even down to the trunk with Del Griffith’s name on it. While this trunk isn’t exactly like the one in the movies, you get the idea and it looks great on the back of the car. So what do you think this car will go for? Will it top $100,000 like the National Lampoon car? Let us know what you think.
This car would lock so much better with a light toasting.
I agree, it’s nice as is, but would be even more impressive in drivable, post-fire condition.
First of all you can’t call it a replica if it isn’t even close to the same year or style of the movie car.
Secondly, why would you think the voice warnings were rare?
I am Not a fan of these Chrysler’s but I liked the 1987 Comedy Movie starrring Steve Martin & John Candy !
Extra Trivia-the color is the same green as the Family Truckster, they’re supposed to be from the same company in the “John Hughes” film world
I am not getting it with tribute movie cars. I think it is ridiculous what people are paying for some of these. Now real movie cars, like the Witness Squareback, are cool. If they are going to emulate a movie car, at least do something impressive like the bloody Nova from Pulp Fiction or Christine after the front end loader battle.
I can’t imagine anybody paying a lot of money for this. It’s just not that recognizable. Now, show me a replica of the roadster from American Grafitti (’32 chop top Ford) or the ZZ Top car, and then you’ll see people laying down some big bucks. Those cars were iconic. This one is more of a joke. Buying this would be kind of like buying a gag gift, but it would only work if the person you’re buying it for has actually seen the movie and remembers this car.
I’m with you all the way. We live in a world in which fake is acceptable. It’s pitiful that our situation is such.
“Go Real or Go Home”
Pretty close to Jon Voight’s car on Seinfeld.
This car is just plain UGLY. They were terrible cars when they were new and are probably even worse now. If someone pays more than 2K for this car I have swamp land for sale.
Sorry, I’ve seen the movie but don’t recall the car being green. Seemed to me it was John Voight beige. Awful color, that green.
You must’ve watched a different movie then, because the car in PT&A was definitely a similar green.
Nostalgia wise, I love the car, cause Candy destroyed it, I think burnt it looked better,
“YOU’RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!”
“How do they know which way we’re going?”
Favorite line from that funny movie.
I’ll keep the line and pass on the car.
These were quite good cars. Mine went 200,000 miles before the grave yard.
Only 200,000 miles? My daily driver Tacoma has half a million and still going strong!
And if you bought the Tacoma new then you paid about 6 times what these went for new
“What the hell are you drivin’ here?”
A clone of the “Family Truckster”, in convertible form. Right down to the metallic-pea color.
Not an authentic color and the woodgrain is non original and horribly done. Probably not an original T&C car and someone added the wood. The 84’s-86’s were factory built with rear quarter windows, larger back seats, EFI, and were much better cars. This thing should be a tough sale. The 82-83’s are to be avoided IMO.
“ Are they telling us we’re going the wrong way?”
How do they know where we’re going!” Aagggjhhhhh.
Love that movie….RIP. John Candy
“However, the radio still works. Funny as that may seem, with all this mess the radio’s the only thing that’s really working good and it’s clear as a bell, don’t ask me how…”
No
Agree with the article that there is stupid money out there.
But still no.
No, I wouldn’t pay 0.15c for that car. I got pulled into that junk one time from a picture if a beautiful 87Lebaron convertible in a magazine. So I went to all the used car dealers in town til I found one for $1500. I bought it and started attempting to make it as new. It was a turbo charged 2.5 L automatic. Pale yellow with beige top and interior. First the turbo charger started blowing a huge cloud of blue smoke from the rear of the car, replaced that two times before I got that corrected then the rack n pinion started leaking oil, replaced that, then the top mechanism broke, its made of pot iron so that had to be replaced because f fatigue throughout the system, which ended up requiring a new top. By then I was so far upside down I sold the car to a man for his daughter for $1000. Bucks. Good riddance and never again. You can keep your mopars. I’ll never own another one.
God bless America
Wow! That did buff out!
JOHN CANDY: ” My ass looks like a flame broiled whopper!”
The car you show is NOT even closer to the car in the film. There’s 3 stops of light-coloured ‘wood’ (vinyl) on each side panel. The middle strip is appx 1-inch below the door handle (the top stop use 1-inch ABOVE). The vehicle’s name – which I can’t be 100% accurate with, as it moves past in such a way Alli can read is (top line in script) ‘Grand—riat’ (the first 2-letters of the second babe are indecipherable). Belle that it says in big block and serif, ‘TURBO’. There’s also a big crystal-like ‘D’ atop the hood, and last but definitely not least are the bizarre hubcaps – which feature a centre-part which juts out at MINIMUM 2-3 inches (if anything, they remind me of ‘de-clawed’ centre-spikes I saw in Goldfinger, on Bond’s Aston Matrin. They had little spikes, and he drove next too (I believe) Tilly Materson (or it might’ve been her sister, Jill), and they shredded the entire side of her car – and ripped the tyres to pieces, as well.