We featured this car a few weeks ago here on Barn Finds. It is a replica of the car made famous in the movie National Lampoon’s Vacation and was up for bid last weekend at the Barrett-Jackson auction held in Palm Beach, Florida. It ended up selling for over $100,000 (including the buyer’s premium)! You can read more about the sale here on FoxNews.com and here at Barrett-Jackson.com and check out the original article below.
If you’re like me, the 1983 classic National Lampoon’s Vacation starring Chevy Chase is a must-watch whenever it is on television. With the most popular in the “Vacation” series probably being Christmas Vacation, the first movie is a cult classic that introduced us to the Griswold family as they traveled cross country to reach the fictional Wally World theme park. Their mode of transportation was a “Metalic Pea, Wagon Queen Family Truckster.” Now you can own a replica of the awesome movie car. It is being sold as lot #375 at the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction in April. This car was built from a 1981 Ford LTD Station Wagon and is sure to draw a crowd wherever it goes!
“You think you hate it now, but wait til’ you drive it.” is one of the classic lines delivered by comedic actor Eugene Levy. Levy plays the salesman who sells Clark Griswold (Chase) the car but unfortunately for Griswold, the Wagon Queen Family Truckster is not the car he ordered. Due to the quick staff at the car dealership, Griswold’s trade-in is quickly processed and crushed forcing him to take the Truckster. If you’ve never seen Vacation, check it out. You won’t be disappointed!
The car is powered by a 5.0 liter V8 with 4-speed automatic transmission. Unfortunately, there isn’t any information in the ad regarding the build. It has clearly had a complete exterior overhaul, but the engine compartment and interior look stock.
The interior is different than the movie car, but that doesn’t really matter. The story is the exterior.
Here is the infamous gas filler location on top of the front passenger fender. Unfortunately for Griswold, the first time he tries to fill up his new car, he can’t locate the filler. This turns out to be a very funny scene in the movie that showcases Chevy Chase’s ability as a physical comedian.
The dash of the car even includes this awesome plaque! I’m not sure how high the bidding will go, but this car is sure to bring the new owner years of enjoyment. Maybe it will go into a museum or private collection of movie cars? Let us know what you think about this car and share what your favorite movie or television vehicle of all-time is.
Great job, Montana! I was curious how well it would do.
Motor Trend channel posted a short video of the sale action and mentioned about it having been built for Beverly herself. The video is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmRtzqgn2d8
I should of kept my 79 Fairmount wagon,factory 4 on the floor.Metallic Green with a Orange colored interior/lol!
Tony I’d have bought that sight unseen!
Always hated that scene where they crushed the Vista Cruiser. :(
Who would actually want this, for $100K no less??
Fer chrissakes its not even built on the proper ’78 LTD or whatever. The buyer is clearly mentally ill. Buy a DVD of the movie and watch it in your barcalounger instead. Sheesh! People.
100 grand for a ugly old ltd station wagon who care who owned it ! so you are 50 miles from nowhere it dies on the side of the road so because some actor in a dumb movie drove it big deal!are they going to help you now! so you pissed 100 grand up against the wall sucker! anjoy your 50 mile walk!
I thought the buyers premium was 6% which would make the sale price a little more than 96k.
The family truckster is actually seen on the intro to Married With Children. Some footage from above of where the show takes place. I think Chicago.
10% buyers premium.
And a 10% sellers premium. Neither are added or subtracted to the actual sales price.
Mountainwoodie
It is built correctly. The movie car was based on panther platform country squire.
If by Panther platform you mean the `79-89 models, you are correct.
Now all the new owner needs to do is get 200,000 people to pay $.50 to see this circus sideshow…..
Is it just me, or wouldn’t you put the Wagon Queen Family Truckster dash plate OVER the factory LTD emblem ? And why do all the work, time and money to replicate the car from the outside ( although the bumpers don’t match ) and then leave the incorrect interior ?
Either way I cant see anyone paying this kind of money as its not an original car from the movie and its butt-ugly !
Wait, someone was willing to pay $100,000 for that? This sounds like an easy way to make some money.
Stupid is as stupid does!
Why would anyone pay that for that!? This is a joke right?
Great movie, cool car, but there are at least 2 people (bidders) who have more dollars than sense…
now I’ve heard everything ! isn’t worth 1 $
Curious … anyone know what ever happened to the original movie car?
Maybe they left it in the desert after they ran it off the road? :)
If you’ve invested your money well and you’re living comfortably, $100K isn’t an enormous amount of money. As a movie prop novelty replica, actress commissioned and owned, I don’t see why all the disdain for this purchase. When you have the money, buy what makes you happy.
Tell that to all the former professional athletes that declare bankruptcy. Six figure happiness only stretches so far.
“78% of National Football League (NFL) players are either bankrupt or are under financial stress within two years of retirement and an estimated 60% of National Basketball Association (NBA) players go bankrupt within five years after leaving their sport”
This car is a monument to fiscal stupidity.
The underbidder could probably make his own for less than half this price. Maybe I could make the burnt up car from Planes, Trains and Automobiles and see how much I could get for a burned up Lebaron convertible. I’d take half the money paid for this car
You don’t add the on the 10% buyers fee (commission) to get the final the sales price. If you’re adding that you might as well include the buyers fees for taxes, registration, shipping, etc. No different than subtracting the 10% sellers fee, amount to run it through the auction, registration, license fees, etc. and making that the sales price. Just a sleazy auction company move to make everything appear to sell for more than it actually did.
Sleazy? Not really. The hammer fell at $92,000. Add 10% buyer premium, so the check written to B-J was $101,500. That really is the “purchase” price.
This seller did a great job with the “restoration” and moreso with the provenance. Sale included a signed poster-sized still from the movie publicity with the four main actors grinning through the windshield, and a very nice, hand-written letter from the lead actress, for whom this replica was built.
Well sold? Yes. But also, well done!
Maybe sneaky is more like it, but that is in no way the “purchase” price.The 10% is the fee paid to the auction company doing their job not what the vehicle sold for. That 10% isn’t going to the seller. When you sell a home and pay a realtor a commission for doing their job that’s not added to the actual purchase price. No different.
You guys live at a different level than the rich people do. People spend 100,000 for a watch. Millions for a painting. It’s just a matter of perspective. If the person likes it and has money who cares? To each his own😊
No fake should ever sell for more than it will cost to poop another one out.
I own 1987 Oldsmobile Station Wagon
Custom cruiser.
Perfect running car / mist time I’m using during spring and summmer
– trip to Orlando Florida. Nothing will replace this car for comfort, reliability and …. fun to drive
Average 17.6 – 20.4 mpg driving 75 mph.
Dream on the road
Just another ugly piece of crap that someone wasted there money on. The new owner should do everyone a favor and send that thing to the crusher.
You are really really
Bamboohead
You think you hate it now, wait ’til you drive it!
You can’t explain to people who don’t know value and
Comfort old American made cars
“A fool and his money are soon parted”
Proves PT Barnum was correct!….man I wouldn’t have given more than ” parts car” price…!
It beats the Hell out of the Sports Wagon…
WTF? Dude, were you high when you bid on this? Seriously, stop going to the auction stoned. You have a problem.
Did the winning bidder actually pay?
LOL! You negative cats need to relax. It is the buyers money and they can spend it as they choose. I laugh at the money spent on old 4 by 4’s. But I am happy for them if they get enjoyment from them. I am watching a pair of Wood Ducks building a nest in the tree outside, so I am in my happy place. If you have the cabbage buy what you want. Life is short!
It’s not even the right color. WTH?
I’d much rather have Steve Bolander’s ACTUAL 58 Impala from American Graffiti.
Let’s see extra headlight assembles mounted upside down $200.00. Lower bumper mounts $50.00. Crappie green paint job single stage paint with supplies $500.00. Wood grain Mac tac $50.00. Reconfigured country squire mouldings $0.0. Crappie old ford station wagon $4500.00. 1 month of slamming this together $0.0. Grand total $5300.00 and you to can have a family truckster. This goes to show you that there is no cure for stupid, Even if your rich.
I was thinking the same thing. Ppl can spend their money on whatever they want (I’ll admit I’ve bought some stupid stuff) but I’d think one could build this for $10k to 12k tops.
Now, was the movie vehicle a Ford or, a Mercury? I thought, always, it was a Marquis and, not, an LTD.