Skip advert
Advertisement

World's worst car designed for new Vacation movie

The 2015 Tartan Prancer was created for the movie Vacation and could easily be the worst car of all time

Cars taking starring roles in Hollywood movies is nothing new but the star cars are usually beautiful, fast, stylish machines chosen to make the driver look good and spark pangs of desire in the viewing audience. It's fair to say that the 2015 Tartan Prancer is an exception to this rule. Its creators seem to have set out to fashion the worst car in the world, as you can see in this video. 

Vacation is the film vehicle for this unapologetically woeful, er, vehicle. The movie is a modern day remake of National Lampoons Vacation, the 1983 comedy road trip escapade starring Chevy Chase. In the original, the Griswold family headed off on vacation in the Wagon Queen Family Truckster, a deliberately appalling wood-paneled estate designed specially for the film. In the new Vacation movie, the holidaying family get to drive the Tartan Prancer billed as “The Honda of Albania”.

Advertisement - Article continues below

As you can see in the video, the Prancer is a large MPV in the mould of a SEAT Alhambra or Ford Galaxy. There's more than a hint of Toyota Previa about its profile and the headlamp clusters seem to have been lifted from a Land Rover Discovery. There's a weird bustle rear end and a suspicious lean towards the rear, as if the front wheels are a couple of inches larger.

The Prancer is also equipped with a hilarious array of comedy extras as the spoof Albanian car ad demonstrates. Door handles double as cup holders, there’s a drinking fountain, a CB radio and a detachable steering wheel. The car also has two sets of door mirrors producing a double reflection effect so the driver can check his hair and two fuel filler caps. 

The Vacation movie opens on August 21st but you'll have to wait a lot longer than that before you see a worse car than the Tartan Prancer.

Is the Tartan Prancer the world’s worst car? Check out our round up of the worst production cars before you make your mind up…

Skip advert
Advertisement
Head of digital content

Steve looks after the Auto Express website; planning new content, growing online traffic and managing the web team. He’s been a motoring journalist, road tester and editor for over 20 years, contributing to titles including MSN Cars, Auto Trader, The Scotsman and The Wall Street Journal.

Find a car with the experts

Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New electric car MoT tests could be coming to the UK
Tesla Model X on two-post inspection ramp

New electric car MoT tests could be coming to the UK

New technology and driver assistance systems require changes to annual testing, says EC
News
25 Apr 2025
Chinese cars can’t match their European rivals when it comes to engineering
Opinion - Shanghai Auto Show

Chinese cars can’t match their European rivals when it comes to engineering

This new brand of cars might have battery tech on their side, but European buyers want much more than that
Opinion
25 Apr 2025
Car Deal of the Day: the one and only Nissan Juke for less than £150 per month
Nissan Juke - left cornering

Car Deal of the Day: the one and only Nissan Juke for less than £150 per month

Nissan’s best-selling small SUV just got a little bit cheaper and is our Deal of the Day for 26 April
News
26 Apr 2025