Under the wild exterior, there’s a powerful performance wagon.
The foundation of car culture has been TV and movies. Some models and makes have become international icons. The Wagon Queen Family Truckster, which was featured in 1983’s National Lampoon’s Vacation, is one such unusuality. Although it should be considered unfit for family consumption and ugly, its bizarre styling is what gives it its charm and has led to several variations.
Justin Quinn spotted this Audi RS6 avant at the Festival of Speed in St. Petersburg, Florida a few month ago. Although it is smaller than the OG Truckster, it still retains the same iconic design. The Audi is dressed in a modernized version of the “Metallic Pea”, which was made famous by the film. This is further made more disgusting by the faux wood paneling and light-colored trim. Every Audi body panel is covered in a slab of hardwood, two on the hood and one on the Audi’s front bumpers.
Wagon Queen Family Truckster, originally a Ford LTD Country Squire, was given a Hollywood makeover to film the movie. The movie’s outrageous and funny story was enhanced by the addition of crown badgeging, fake wood and green paint. Although the Audi doesn’t have many unique features, it isn’t too far. The Audi’s rear badge features a customized badge that reads “Family Truckster” above the “4.0 Liter Twin Turbocharged” text.
The Audi’s wild exterior hides a powerful performance car that the Griswold has never seen. The RS6 Avant features the brand’s 4.0 liter V8, which produces a powerful 591 horsepower (440 kilowatts), and 590 poundfeet (890 Newton-meters) respectively. It can reach 60 mph (96 km/h) in 3.5 seconds. If you think about it, Clark Griswold would have been able to do even more insane feats with that power.