By the 1980s, Ford’s top-of-the-line station wagon would have a very long name: Ford LTD Crown Victoria Country Squire. The wagon had miles and miles of fake woodgrain paneling on the doors, fenders, and just about everywhere else. Which made it the perfect vehicle to be spoofed in National Lampoon’s Vacation movie of 1983, starring Chevy Chase. The car has been cloned many times over and this 1988 version is the seller’s rendition of the iconic Wagon Queen Family Truckster. “You think you hate it now, but wait until you drive it.” Located in Nebraska City, Nebraska, this modified Ford is available here on eBay where the bidding has reached $7,300 with the reserve still in limbo.
If you’re like me and you’ve seen the movie a hundred times, you know how it goes. Clark Griswold (played by Chase) goes into the dealer to pick up his new Antarctic Blue Super Sports Wagon with CB and optional Rally Fun Pack. Well, it hadn’t come in, and – while speaking with car hustler Eugene Levy – the Griswold Olds Vista Cruiser is sent to the crusher. So, Clark takes home the Wagon Queen Family Trucker, “a damn fine automobile” with its Metallic Pea paint job, eight headlights, and excessive use of fake wood. From there, the family odyssey to Walley World begins.
For use in the movie, it’s been reported that five 1979 Country Squires were prepared to be tortured in its production. It’s also been reported that famous car stylist George Barris did the transformation work, the guy that brought us the likes of the 1966 Batmobile. But some online sources say the car wasn’t a Barris creation after all. While the seller of this tribute doesn’t have any photos of the actual Wagon Queen conversion, a 1988 LTD was used and it’s not totally accurate, i.e., the rear side window treatment is stock LTD, not modified as in the movie. That’s work the seller hadn’t gotten around to yet.
Due to a recent land purchase, the seller is reluctantly selling his creation. The wagon is rust-free, but the green paint applied to the LTD isn’t particularly good and he was going to redo it when the project was completed. A smaller 302 cubic inch V8 is under the hood with Mustang heads, new head gaskets, fuel injectors, and some other stuff, adding up to a vehicle that is said to run just fine. Even the A/C hardware is new. The interior is stock LTD stuff, not what would have surrounded ole Clark.
The seller sprung for an AutoCheck Report with a below-average score, perhaps due to an accident the wagon was in that didn’t trigger any airbags. If you’re looking to take the tribe on a trip this summer, this Wagon Queen Family Truckster might be the one for you. Or better yet, just use the vehicle for laughs. The seller doesn’t mention if the Aunt Edna rocking chair props will come with the vehicle, but the Lou Glutz Motors license plates probably do.
Car Salesman: Where is Mr. Griswold’s Sports Wagon?
Davenport: I don’t know sir.
Car Salesman: I know what must have happened. It didn’t come in. Now I can get you the Sports Wagon; the only problem is that it may take six weeks. I owe it to myself to tell you that if you’re taking the whole tribe cross-country, the Wagon Queen Family Truckster is the way to go.
Went ugly early on this one.
Personally I’d rather see a pile of mud than Eddie.
1988 car, no airbags .
There was one running around the show circuit here in the Chicago area. How many of these can there be out there.
Well, since some of those clones have surfaced by now maybe there’ll be a time – just like with ecto-1 – when it’ll be easier to locate a Wagon Queen Family Truckster than an untouched Country Squire…?
Apparently at least 2 !!
Too many
The one in the Chicago area (I believe Orland Park) is FAR more accurate to the movie version.
There was one in my Northwest Pa town ten years ago. You could not tell it from the movie car, it was that faithfully done. A lot of work to make a turd into an even bigger turd.
“Bet you could use a cold one, Clark….”
Fun
You think you hate it now? Wait until you drive it!
That cracked me up also. As for the car……. nope.
The fake wood paneling is a deal-breaker.
Easy to put on real wood paneling with dry-wall screws
Can this one jump 50 yards and survive?
Ha! A couple shots have a leash and collar tied to the rear bumper and a mannequin wrapped in a sheet on the roof.
I need this car . One of a kind & just AWESOME looking . I would drive that thing all over , Plus that was an awesome movie.
If I had this car I’d wrap up a mannequin and tie it to the roof.
Just missing the “Honky Lips” spray painted on the passenger side! It’s a low budget recreation, but an interesting one at least.
I thought the actual wagon used was a Taurus or a Sable. To replicate something like this would have been simple to use the actual type of vehicle. They are all over the place. Anyway, moving right along. Looking for the master piece of the RV that Eddie arrived in. Now that would be a tribute.
The Taurus wagon was used in Christmas Vacation
Useless trivia: The original Family Truckster can be seen briefly in an episode of Knight Rider. The episode was filmed partly in Chicago and producers reused a bunch of stock footage of Chi-town, including an aerial scene of the wagon driving down the freeway that was recycled from the movie.
So this means Clark Griswold and Michael Knight exist in the same film universe LOL.
I took a Ford wagon like this on vacation once. We traveled with another couple which was a very good thing as this particular Ford had a 429 engine; a real gas guzzler but we shared the gas bill. Other than being comfortable & a good performer, it had little to get excited about. Fortunately, it did NOT have all that woodgrain to ruin it’s appearance! Would I want to own one? Nope.
A. Purchase
Family truckster !
B. Score some D.o.t. approved drag slicks
C. Nitros sniper kit
D. Install
E.. Bring it to the track
F. Have a few passes
G. Get a few laughs
All the while The song Sky Rockets At Night Afternoon Delight just repeates in your head.
H. Re-list for sale at end of day
I. Sit on the couch Crack a beer and Laugh ,
Saying ” I’m not here for a long time
Just a good time “
If you think you hate it now, wait till you drive it
My favorite line from the movie is “If you hate it now, wait til you drive it.”
Classic.
needs to have the gas tank fillup on the hood
Funniest thing, pertaining to this vehicle, 2 years ago, at the beginning of the Pandemic, we took a day ride from NYC to Lake George NY, Memorial Day weekend, we were sitting on a roof deck outdoor restaurant, overlooking the lake, and the Lake George steamship co vessel’s, and a family Truckster drove by, I wish I was quick enough to take a picture of it,
I read your comment exactly as you wrote it. I sound like I have asthma.
It says sold on the 10th for $10k.
They could have at least removed the dead leaves from the engine compartment.
Regardless, it sold for $10,000.
CTHEMAN07, Don’t know why, but I look at this butt a_s ugly car, it screams back “Pee Wee Herman at me. I’m just waiting for him to enter the frame and pull his bicycle out of the back of the wagon. Personally, I’d rather be seen driving the Oscar Weiner Mobile than this vehicle.
On EBay it says sold for a winning bid of $10,000.00.
On ebay it says sold for a winning bid of $10,000.
You serious, Clarke?
yes, the 1st one sold by the studio, one the co that made it for them was sky hi on sales price (all the regular BS on provenance)
Then
the others used on the set (close ups, far aways, crashes, etc) came out and prices fell each subsiquent one.
Copies (non-studio applications, U me or john doe makin one as parody) have fallen out of the sky like rain.
In fact I have seen one which is the same model (LTD) but of the fox bodied (not ‘panther’ like these, ford uses names) chassy ie ’83/6 so is 3/4 size – so not even a copy really – pass and therefore sell, (for pretty good money too, 17K$).
I would rather have a young Christie Brinkley drive me around in a 308.
The movie version had what looked like an Olds Toronado hood and grille grafted to the front of the ford hood . This one just has a stock grille painted green and a huge gap underneath . It was an ugly car in the movie, and meant to be , but this is even uglier. I’d spray paint numbers on the door and derby it without a thought
I bet i could replace all 8 of those headlites a lot sooner than just 1 modern headlight & for about 1/5 the total cost too! Do all 8 light up when you switch to the high beams?
I would imagine when taking this car to inspection, the inspector might not like seeing that very low front bumper, or so many headlites – unless 4 of them don’t light up at all & are dummies. lol
I doubt this car has any cooling problems with those 2 huge front grills.