Man finds iconic Ferrari from National Lampoon’s Vacation tucked away in garage
- An Italian writer found the Ferrari featured in National Lampoon’s Vacation
- It’s been a long time since Christie Brinkley drove this car in 1983
- The Italian supercar has held up pretty well since the 80s
Published on Apr 07, 2025 at 9:44 AM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Apr 04, 2025 at 3:07 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Ben Thompson
A man has discovered the iconic Ferrari from National Lampoon’s Vacation tucked away in a garage.
The 1983 movie was known for many things, but the iconic red Ferrari was truly a standout moment.
Over 40 years later, the car was uncovered in an unlikely place – a garage in the middle of America.
It may not have a supermodel behind the wheel anymore, but it’s held up really well.
EXPLORE SBX CARS – Supercar auctions starting soon powered by Supercar Blondie
The Ferrari from National Lampoon’s Vacation is still iconic, 42 years on
In the history of movies, there have been plenty of memorable cars along the way.
There’s the DeLorean, which was cemented into pop culture legend status thanks to the Back to the Future series.
James Bond films have inspired a whole range of cars, like this stunning Rolls-Royce .
There’s even a car with its own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – the Chevy Suburban.
But as memorable as all these cars are, they don’t quite have the star quality of the Ferrari 308 GTS that appeared in National Lampoon’s Vacation.
Just in case you need a refresher on the movie’s plot, here you go.
The comedy film follows the Griswold family, headed by dad Clark, as they drive from Chicago, Illinois to a California theme park.
Along the way, they get into various escapades, mostly prompted by Clark’s stupidity.
One notable incident came when a red Ferrari pulled alongside the Griswolds’ car on the highway.
Behind the wheel was model Christie Brinkley, who made eyes at Clark.
From that point onwards, he was smitten with her.
The fact that she had a ‘Luv Me’ license plate probably played a role in that.
Brinkley and the Ferrari would reappear in Vegas Vacation, a 1997 sequel to the original.
This time around, she had a baby in tow – indicating that her character had settled down in the years inbetween.
But what happened to the Ferrari in real life?
An Italian journalist had the answer.
Hidden away in a garage
The Italian website featured a story about the Ferrari being uncovered in a garage somewhere in the US.
Daniele, the writer covering the story uncovered some interesting information about the GTS.
He discovered that the owner had rented the car out to the production company for two weeks.
The film was shot in the summer of 1982 in Colorado.
In the years since, it’d become relatively low-key, but still looked sturdy and well cared for.
The ‘Luv Me’ license plate seemed to be a thing of the past, but that’s probably for the best.
“You can get the paperwork that proves she was in a cult movie here in the States,” the owner told Daniele.
We’re not sure we’d call a movie that made $60 million on a $15 million budget a ‘cult movie’, but alright.
To see some new pictures of the Ferrari, head over to driveexperience’s website.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
