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2026 Is a Pivotal Year for New CarsCars from Christmas Vacation
It’s a classic movie, but how familiar are you with the vehicles? Here’s your chance to take a look at all the best Christmas Vacation cars!The Cars from a Classic Christmas Movie
Every Christmas (and sometimes at other points throughout the year, but definitely every Christmas) my family watches National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. It’s up there with Home Alone, The Santa Clause, and other great Christmas movies. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say this one is the best movies of the Vacation series.
You probably have a favorite scene from Christmas Vacation and you probably know a quote or two from it, but do you know which vehicles were featured? Of course, there’s the infamous station wagon, which we’ll get to in a moment, but there are a handful of other vehicles that were pretty prominent in the movie when you watch it back. Here are a few interesting facts about those cars so that you can impress the family with when you sit down to watch Christmas Vacation this year.
1989 Ford Taurus Wagon
A lot of people remember that boxy, wood-paneled, green 1979 Ford LTD Country Squire wagon from National Lampoon’s Vacation, but the Griswold family switched out vehicles for Christmas Vacation. The scene most people probably remember is the one where the Griswolds venture out to cut down an evergreen in the snow-covered country. That scene features a 1989 Ford Taurus station wagon, not a 1979 Ford Country Squire.
Moviegoers didn’t realize they’d be getting a fairly dramatic (albeit unrealistic) car scene when they stepped into the theater to view what is now a Christmas comedy classic. That’s exactly what they got, though. The first several minutes of the movie show the Griswolds on their way out to the countryside to get the perfect evergreen. Clark gets a little impatient with some rude drivers he’s sharing the road with and things go astray from there. Long before the Fast and the Furious movies, Clark Griswold drove his 1989 Ford Taurus under the trailer of a semi, though he didn’t do it purposefully or with as much ease as Dom’s crew did.
The Squire was featured several other times throughout Christmas Vacation. That first scene, though, was not only the most memorable scene featuring the Ford Taurus in the movie but also, to this day, one of the most memorable scenes in the entire movie.
1963 Dodge D-200
This was the other vehicle involved in the highway situation at the start of the movie. A couple of jerks were driving a 1963 Dodge D-200 that they apparently weren’t taking very good care of. It looked dirty and worn. It still worked just fine because these two guys drove right up to the back of the Taurus and were on his tail for several seconds. Eventually, they start to pass Clark.
As is a common theme throughout Christmas Vacation and the other Vacation movies, even though he’s well-intentioned, Clark’s temper gets the better of him sometimes. That’s the case here, too. He tries to prevent the Dodge dudes from passing by stepping on the gas. The Dodge D-200 pulls ahead of Clark and then slams on the brakes. It continues on from there, but eventually, the semi is involved and the Ford Taurus launches into the air. All’s well that ends well because the Griswold family does safely end up getting their Christmas tree.
Peterbilt 359
I mentioned the semi already, but I should mention what kind of semi it was. The logging truck that the Taurus scooted underneath was a Peterbilt 359, though there is some discrepancy on what model year was used for the movie. In July 1986, Peterbilt announced they’d stop making the 359 series, and, by 1987, the final Peterbilt 359s were produced.
Christmas Vacation didn’t come out until 1989, but they certainly could have used one of the last 1986 Peterbilt 359 models for the movie. I guess rather than saying, for certain, it’s a 1986 Peterbilt 359 hauling that lumber, it’s safer to say it was a 359 from circa 1986.
1972 Condor II
Oh my, oh my. What to say about Cousin Eddie’s 1972 Condor II? Well, first, this motorcoach was actually a decent vehicle when it was released. It was based on Ford’s M504 truck chassis. The Condor spanned 28 feet in length and was available in blue, yellow, or tan color schemes. There are well-maintained models that can be found today, but Cousin Eddie’s Condor II was a different story.
This particular Condor wasn’t a vehicle you’d want to be parked outside of your house for all your neighbors to see. It was rusted out in multiple locations around the vehicle. You kind of feel bad for the Condor because they really uglified it to fit with Cousin Eddie’s character. It was perfectly executed, though. What other vehicle could belong to the annoying brother-in-law whose standards of living aren’t quite up to your own? Yeah, that rusted, worn out Condor II fits the Eddie character!
1963 Lincoln Continental
This car is actually quite high profile in the movie. No, there are no car chases or specific interactions with the characters that take place in the car, but it was used in the backdrop of several memorable scenes. Someone making this movie must have been a fan!
Remember the scene where Clark is supposed to have his big, shining moment, lighting up the entire house after stringing up hundreds of lights? Well, right in the background is the light blue, 1963 Lincoln Continental convertible. Then, the next morning, after Cousin Eddie has arrived, he’s out there on the street, standing by the Continental as he dumps the sewage from his Condor II into the sewer drain. The glossy 1963 Continental made for a nice background prop in both scenes. It filmed well in the dark and in the morning light.
1986 SAAB 9000 CC
Remember the snooty, uptight neighbors that live next to the Griswolds? They wear those silver jogging suits that are specifically designed to increase sweat. They are the neighbors who have the artsy design in their home. They’re also the neighbors who drive a 1986 SAAB 9000 CC. The ‘86 model was a brand-new model, the result of SAAB and Fiat collaborating together. Legendary designer Giorgetto Giugiaro was involved in the making of this vehicle.
This is a good vehicle choice for the Griswold neighbors. Even though they live right next to Clark, these neighbors have a very different lifestyle. They like to spend their money on the finer things in life and are definitely into whatever is trendy at the moment, so it’s not surprising they’d have a new 1986 SAAB 9000 CC.
1981 Dodge Diplomat
The Dodge Diplomat, as it was shown in Christmas Vacation, first debuted in 1977, and by 1980, Dodge kicked off the second generation of the Diplomat. The 1982 Diplomat was equipped with a 318-CID V8. This 318 V8 was part of Chrysler‘s LA engine series. The availability in the Diplomat changed, but not for police cars. That’s the form the 1981 Dodge Diplomat took in Christmas Vacation.
Near the end of the movie, dozens of cop cars show up at the Griswold house. While it wasn’t featured in scene upon scene, like some other vehicles, the Dodge Diplomat made an impression because so many of those police vehicles were used in the swarm on the Griswold home.
Keep An Eye Out for These, Too!
If you want to really test yourself, next time you watch Christmas Vacation, see if you can spot any of these car cameos: a 1949 Chevy Skyline, a 1988 Lincoln Town Car, a 1982 Jaguar XJS, a 1984 Dodge Aries K, a 1979 Dodge Colt, and a GMC B-Series school bus. I won’t mention where they appear in the movie, but they’re in it, even if just for a few seconds.
Keep the festivities going with even more holiday reads! Learn about the iconic Christmas Truck, or get some Black Friday ideas with our list of the Top 20 Car Christmas Gifts. If you’re feeling really generous, we’ve even got a list of the Best New Cars for Christmas Gifts for you.
Just the article I was looking for regarding the ‘63 Lincoln convertible.