Wagon Queen Family Truckster - The History, Features, & Creation

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A transcript, created by AI and edited by a staffer, is below.

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Transcript:

The Family Truckster by Wagon Queen—and yes, I know Wagon Queen isn’t really a car manufacturer. These were actually 1979 Ford LTD Country Squire wagons that were modified by a production company for use in National Lampoon’s first Vacation movie. The car was one of the most important cast members in the film, even though it didn’t have any lines.

You may be thinking, how can a vehicle be a cast member? Well, the Truckster appeared in countless scenes, and it’s hard to imagine the movie being the same if Clark had actually received his Arctic Blue Super Sports Wagon with the CB radio and Rally Fun Pack.

In this video, we’re going to dig into the construction of the Family Truckster, what it really was, how it was built, and why that mattered to the movie. With that out of the way, let’s get started.

There it is—the wagon. And yes, it’s not the car Clark ordered. He specifically asked for the Antarctic Blue Super Sports Wagon with the CB and optional Rally Fun Pack. Instead, he got the Wagon Queen Family Truckster, described as “a damn fine automobile” and the ideal choice for taking the family cross-country.

A total of five Wagon Queen Family Trucksters were built for the movie. Two can be seen at Lou Glutz Motors when Clark picks up the car. It’s often claimed online that the Truckster was created by George Barris, but that’s a myth. The cars were built by Warner Brothers’ in-house transportation department.

They started with five 1979 Ford LTD Country Squire wagons and pushed late-1970s American styling completely over the top—mostly on the exterior. All five cars were painted Metallic Pea, a color that was not available from Ford in 1979.

Up front, the Family Truckster features eight functional headlamps, four parking lamps, four turn signal indicators, a smooth front fascia with twin oval air inlets and a large lower intake, a Wagon Queen crown hood ornament, and a chrome bumper. To achieve this look, the crew removed the LTD’s grille and front bumper, fabricated a new upper fascia, flipped the headlamp and signal assemblies, mounted a second set below in the factory orientation, and repositioned the bumper much lower than stock.

The hood features framed woodgrain detailing and an operational fuel filler cap, which proved confusing for Clark. The sides of the car include woodgrain panels, modified rear quarter panels with faux cooling vents, and large Wagon Queen crown logos. That same logo appears on all four wheel covers.

The quarter panel modifications required relocating the fuel filler, which would normally be found on the driver-side rear quarter panel. At the rear, the Family Truckster features more woodgrain and four taillights, though only the original set was functional. The second set was purely cosmetic. There’s also a center-mounted rear door handle, and there’s no clear explanation as to why it was added.

Inside, the changes were minimal. Ford logos were removed, the front seat headrests were taken off, and the seats were reupholstered. This is common in film production, as headrests can obstruct camera angles. Inflating garbage bags were used to simulate exploding airbags, which is how the Truckster managed to have multiple airbags going off in the same location.

Power came from the factory 130-horsepower 302 cubic-inch V8, paired with a Ford AOD four-speed automatic transmission. The engines were not modified. Even so, the Truckster managed to keep up—at least on screen—with Christy Brinkley’s Ferrari. The drivetrain was more than adequate for moving the cars between filming locations, and with five vehicles available, losing one or two to damage wasn’t a concern. Several were destroyed during production.

Sadly, none of the original Family Trucksters survive today. All were either destroyed during filming or returned to Warner Brothers and converted back into LTD wagons for use in other productions.

Over the years, several high-quality recreations have appeared. One 1981-based version was built for Beverly D’Angelo and sold at Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach in 2019. It included a signed movie poster and a handwritten letter from the actress and sold for $91,000. Another recreation was built by a family with the last name Griswold, who documented the process on their YouTube channel.

If you enjoyed this video, consider liking and subscribing. There’s also a playlist featuring other Fords from movies and television, including the Batmobile, the car from The Car, and DeForest Kelley’s personal Thunderbird.

Thanks for watching. We’ll see you next time.