We’ve all watched these holiday classics, probably more than once, but have you ever wondered about the cars our favorite characters are driving? Well here’s the rundown on the cars of our favorite Christmas movies!
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, 1989
1989 Ford Taurus Wagon – The Griswold family car that was part of the iconic opening car chase scene, had wood paneling, which was very popular at the time. There were actually two of these cars made for the movie, a 1988 model and a 1989 model. The wood paneling was custom added for the movie.
1937 Oldsmobile Six Touring Sedan – “Some men are Baptists, others Catholics, my father was an Oldsmobile man.” Remember when Ralphie said “Ohhhh fuuuudge”? This is the car his dad was driving when they had to change the tire. The base price for this car in 1937 was $895!
1986 Dodge Ram Van – This is the infamous “OH-KAY Plumbing & Heating” van that followed Kevin around in Home Alone. Although Chrysler would eventually make two redesigns of this type of van, much of the exterior would remain nearly unchanged over 33 years, making it one of the longest-used automotive platforms in American automotive history. Who knew the sticky bandits were using such an iconic vehicle?!
Jingle All the Way, 1996
1995 GMC Suburban 1500 SLT – Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character goes through a lot with this vehicle as he tries to find a Turbo-Man action figure for his son, and eventually finds his car stripped and emptied by thieves. Although it has changed over time, the Chevrolet Suburban is the longest continuous use automobile nameplate in production, starting in 1935, and has been one of General Motors’ most profitable vehicles.
1950 Plymouth Special De Luxe Station Wagon– This movie uses a much different station wagon than what we see in Christmas Vacation! Only about 2,000 of these wagons were made in 1950, and it was the highest priced Plymouth at the time, with a price tag of $2,372.
It’s safe to say that the cars of these movies were definitely more functional than fashionable, but iconic nonetheless. Now who wants to watch a Christmas movie?!
