Posted on 10/02/2025 6:45:46 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
If you find yourself driving along the scenic New York State Thruway near Lake George, you might get a sudden urge to sing the song “Holiday Road.” The popular Northeast vacation destination is home to a small fleet of cars associated with another very popular vacation: the fictional Griswold family’s trek to Walley World in the 1983 classic National Lampoon’s Vacation.
The accidentally-purchased 1987 Ford Country Squire owned by Tom and Chrissey Dittus of Lake George. Over the past several years, he’s made the car look like the cross-country driving station wagon from the film. It’s has garnered thousands of views on Facebook and plenty of buzz in real life.
“Sometimes I wonder if it’s the most viewed car in the country,” Tom tells Popular Science. “People and businesses share on their Facebook pages and it gets a huge response.”
The pair now take their three Griswold cars to film festivals, conventions, and other events around the country, inviting fans and even celebrities (including Chevy Chase himself) to pose with what Clark Griswold lovingly called the “Family Truckster.” The cars are even given a seasonal twist in honor of the film’s third installment, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
Tom Dittus: In 2014, I wanted a cheap car to put lots of stuff in, and I like old cars so got an old wagon for $2,000, which I found online at a garage sale site. It was 15 minutes from our home in Lake George, New York.
TD: I, and others, associated the ‘80s wood-grain vinyl wagon with Vacation movies. Since the car made people happy, I decided to play the role by throwing old luggage on the roof and stuffed big coffee bean bags from a local café to look like Aunt Edna. People loved it!
TD: I searched for a custom plate, but “Griswold” was taken plus various abbreviations for “Family Truckster” were taken too. So, I thought about changing the “s” to a “z” since it would sound the same. So, it became “Grizwold.” I put old crappy luggage on top that we had hanging around the house along with a sleeping bag ready for the garbage can. I got a kid’s set of plastic golf clubs too. A Lake George café, Caffé Vero, gave me coffee bean bags which I stuffed for Aunt Edna. It was already nicely customized by 2 guys (Eric Wildman and John Larson) in their garage in DesMoines, Iowa. I found them on their Clark W. Griswold Facebook page and bought it sight unseen in 2020 during COVID. I give them a lot of credit for their efforts in building something so special. A couple of years ago, I did get the body renovated. We also got all 8 headlights and all 4 tail lights working (only 2 worked in the movie). Then we added a gas flap in the hood per the movie.
“Wallywld” seemed appropriate for the second wagon since people ask us if we’re headed to Walley World when they see the car. But, every six months, I switch the plate to “XmasVaca” and throw a tree on top with a ceramic squirrel, and put a cousin Eddie mannequin with a trapper hat and white bath robe in the back seat per the Christmas Vacation movie. We put a Santa face on the front grill, lots of garland, lots of solar lights, Santa and elves in the back seat, etc.
It’s a huge hit at Christmas events such as bars and the Palace Theatre in Albany, New York for a Chevy Chase appearance where they showed the Christmas Vacation movie!
TD: Driving the Family Truckster anywhere is an experience unlike any other car. Folks really admire my ’63 Triumph since there are very few around. I’ve had exotic cars like an ’86 Porsche 930 Turbo that gear heads certainly appreciated. It had the extra wide rear end and big meats (tires) on the back. The ’90 Ferrari Testarossa had the same wide stance. I loved those cars, but the Truckster is different. It triggers big smiles, laughs, and thumbs up everywhere.
Most people just glow when they see it. They stop what they’re doing, drop what they’re carrying, whatever. I can often read their lips – OH MY GOD!!! A few have actually said, “That’s the greatest thing I’ve seen in my life!” or “That just made my vacation!” Also, many relate to having a station wagon as a child. They sometimes get emotional remembering sitting way in the back while their parents (who sometimes have passed away) were in the front.
Hey kids, you noticing all this plight?
So what kind of suv do you have?
I owned a 1959 Two Door Ford Station Wagon!
Big V8 and Three Speed on the
Steering Column!
What a Beast but Drive In Movies is
Where It Pulled No Punches!
You’d have Lovmy ‘59 Two Door!
There’s a Packard wagon for sale near me.
I think it’s gorgeous.
L
This part was very real for me:
***Well, I’ll tell you something. This is no longer a vacation. It’s a quest. It’s a quest for fun. I’m gonna have fun and you’re gonna have fun. We’re all gonna have so much effing fun we’ll need plastic surgery to remove our G-D smiles. You’ll be whistling zippity-doo-dah out of your @$$holes.***
I heard that same sentiment on many of our summer vacations. It was a little scary as a kid, but by the time I was a teenager, I thought it was hilarious. You never know how you can get along with people until you’ve been stuck in a car with them for 3 weeks. You HAVE to get along, or you’ll all be dead.
Mind you, my parents rarely cursed, and if they did, it was someone else’s fault for making them lose control like that. Kids, don’t make your parents lose control like that. It ain’t pretty.
Ford Country Sedan. 390 CID. OVER 4,000 pounds. That was our family car. Most my friends families had the Buick, Pontiac, or Oldsmobile, big block station wagons. Toss in a few New Yorkers and two drive shafts Lincoln Town cars, and we rolled around in beasts!
Movie scene of Griswold station wagon, with Aunt Edna all bundled up.
“....and yea, though the Hindus speak of karma, I implore you: give her a break.”
We had a couple of Ford Country Sedans in the 60s-70s. As a little kid, I liked the country squire better. It had the faux wood paneling. Clearly not something my parents would pay extra for, darn it.
My mother sewed curtains to go on the back windows. We had no air conditioning. Therefore, every trip started in the dark of the night, with the intent of driving from San Diego across the Mojave desert, before the sun rose too high.
There was a 2 door Rambler wagon down the road from me a few years ago that kept begging me to buy it and make a gasser out of it. I guess it’s someone else’s project now.
SUVs were the new station wagon.
My mom had a 73 Olds Custom Cruiser. It was a massive beast.
Our church had a broken window. They asked a friend and o to replace it. He forgot the key so since the window was broken anyway, we eighteen year old geniuses backed the wagon up to the window and jumped on the roof to climb into the church.
As my friend was most of the way inside, suddenly cops converged from all directions. The entire department showed up.
We managed to talk our way out of it.
Ouch!! 🤕🤕🤕
😁
Roll ‘em up!!
Is that a leash attached to the rear bumper? Remember, the dog peed on Clark’s sammich.
😁😆😂🤣
😃😄😄😁😁
Lol.
I have a Ford Escape hybrid, but I bought it for my son. I drive a Mustang. It's an economy model with a 2.4L engine, but it's plenty powerful enough for me.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.