Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Transportation in Daria

Automobiles and other forms of transportation played a large part in Daria, yet except for a few rare cases, we're never told the makes and models of these various transportation devices. This list, compiled by Daniel T. Dey, attempts to identify the various cars and other vehicles seen throughout the series.



Vehicle Description
ANDREW LANDON'S CAR Like Tom, Andrew Landon drives a Jaguar XJ Sedan. Unlike Tom, his is a Series Three, was undoubtedly bought relatively new, and is in far beter looking and running condition. Seen in "Gifted" (#208).
ASHFIELD'S JUNK CARS The jukers littering the grounds of the Ashfield Artists' Colony (seen in "Is It Fall Yet?") were a 1951 Jeepster/Jeep Station Wagon/Pickup Cowl.
AUNT AMY'S CAR Seen in "I Don't" (#204), Amy Barksdale's smokin' roadster is a late-1970's Triumph Spitfire Convertible.
AUNT BERNICE'S RENTAL CAR Seen in "The Teachings of Don Jake" (#112), this car is currently of an unknown make and model.
DONNA'S SUV The woman who was "saved by a guardian angel" in "Groped by an Angel" (#411) drove a 1990's Ford Bronco, with what appears to be a custom grille.
HEARSE AT KEVIN'S FUNERAL The 1970 Cadillac hearse was seen in "Murder, She Snored" (#404).
HELEN'S SUV The red SUV shown in "Through a Lens Darkly" (#301) and "Legends of the Mall" (#410) is likely a 1998 Chevrolet Blazer LS or a 1997 Chevrolet Blazer S10. The one shown in "Boxing Daria" (#513), however, looks more like a late-1990s Ford Explorer XLS or XLT (based on examination of the grills, headlights, and roof rails). It's possible that Helen traded in the Chevy for the Ford after "Legends of the Mall" (#410) when she saw the scratches on the right-side doors... not to mention Metalmouth's steel dentures hanging from the door handle!
JAKE'S CAR (PRE-LAWNDALE) The car in which the Morgendorffers take Daria and Quinn to Camp Grizzly in "Camp Fear" (#504) looks like a silver 1992 Honda Accord LX four-door sedan. (The vehicle looks gray in most screen shots, mauve in others.) Jake was driving, so it was probably his car. The shape of the headlights, taillights, and trunk as seen in flashbacks from "Camp Fear" (#504) and "Boxing Daria" (#513) match the above make, model, and year, separating it from the Toyota Corolla. (The shieldlike hood emblem seen in the flashback in "Boxing Daria" is of an unknown type.
JAKE'S CAR (LAWNDALE) According to "Daria!" (#307), Jake's car (first seen in "Esteemsters" (#101)) is specifically identified as a Lexus sedan ("I don't care a fig about my smashed-up Lexus"). However, it actually looks more like a 1991-1995 Ford Taurus with the SVO package. The hood ornament is an inverted "anarchy" symbol.
JEFFY'S CAR The sporty blue car Jeffy was seen driving in "Depth Takes a Holiday" (#303) seems to be a mid- to late-1990's model Dodge Viper GTS. Given its cost, it was probably his father's.
KAY SLOANE'S CAR Kay's sedan, seen in "Is It College Yet?" during their visit to Bromwell University and Raft College, is currently of an unknown make and model.
KEVIN'S CAR (1985) The 1985 Kevin from "Legends of the Mall" (#410) drove a 1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Redbird.
KEVIN'S JEEP We know it's a Jeep, but what kind? From the cowl back, we can see it as a CJ-3B, but the rear fender flares and fiberglass bonnet protector are commonly found on YJ and TJ Jeep Wranglers. According to the webmasters of at least two Jeep-related websties, it's probably a mixture of Willy, Mahindra and Mitsubishi Jeeps.
LAWNDALE FIRE DEPARTMENT #1 The fire truck that saved the burning Dodge Ram Pickup in "I Loathe a Parade" (#406) was probably a Maxim.
LAWNDALE FIRE DEPARTMENT #2 The fire trucks that put out the fire in the Morgendorffer kitchen in "Fire!" (#412) were possible Spartan cabovers.
LAWNDALE HIGH SCHOOL BUSES Both Bus A and Bus B (shown in "The Daria Hunter" (#202)) have the cowls of 1967-1972 Ford Medium Duty F-Series trucks, which for school bus chassis are considered B-Series trucks. The reasons for the red headlights are unclear, but knowing Ms. Li, they're probably emergency flashers for "security measures."
LAWNDALE MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM BUS A 1978-1987 GMC RTS 04, as seen in "Legends of the Mall" (#410). This may or may not have been the case in "Too Cute" (#109), as only the interior of that bus was shown.
LAWNDALE POLICE DEPARTMENT In the "Welcome to Lawndale" illustration in The Daria Diaries is a small picture of an Lawndale police car, which appears to be a black mid-1990's Chevrolet Caprice, which has been used by police departments in real life.
LAWNDALE TAXI CAB The orange-yellow taxi that brings Jake home from the airport in "Boxing Daria" (#513) is probably a mid-1990's Chevrolet Caprice, frequently used as a cab in the real world. Speaking of airports, Lawndale apparently has its own airport (or is close to one) if Jake can ride home in a cab from it! (It could be the same airport from which Jane and Trent left to attend the Lane Family Reunion in "The Teachings of Don Jake" (#112).)
LINDA GRIFFIN'S CAR Driven by Sandi in "Road Worrier" (#111), Linda's car is a 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder. We're pretty sure it's Linda's due to a reference to Sandi having a spare set of keys in "Gifted" (#208).
MIDDLETON COLLEGE POLICE CARS The 1986-1990 Ford Taurus. It's not uncommon for some college police departments to use mid-sized cars, rather than full-sized cars of local and state P.D.'s. Seen in "College Bored" (#103).
"MYSTERY CAR" The car that drops Daria off at home late at night in "The Big House" (#110) is currently of an unknown make and model.
MYSTIK SPIRAL'S VAN
("THE TANK") 		Max "Criminale" Tyler's beloved van (first seen in "Road Worrier" (#111)) is probably a GMC or Chevrolet from the early-to-mid 1980's.
NATHAN'S CAR According to the MTV website, Nathan's retro roadster from "Life in the Past Lane" (#509) is a 1957 Ford Skyliner. However, the rear roof pillar of Nathan's car is not as thick as real Skyliners. His car looks like a standard 1957 2-door Ford Galaxie, until Nathan puts the top down.
ROBERT'S CAR Seen in "Daria Dance Party" (#304), Robert's car is a 1994-1998 Ford Mustang Convertible, ma'am.
SEAN'S CAR Sean's car (seen in "The New Kid" (#207)) is a late 1990's Honda CR-V.
SKIP STEVENS' CAR Only someone as unquestionably geeky as Skip Stevens would drive an AMC Pacer Hatchback, circa 1979 or 1980, as seen in "Camp Fear" (#504).
STEVE TAYLOR'S CAR Steve's car (seen in "Groped by an Angel" (#411)) is a Porsche 911 2+2. With such an expensive car (along with a trophy wife who's not much older than his daughter), one gets the feeling that he's, ah, "compensating for something," if you catch my drift.
"THE BOMB" (ON HAPPY HERB'S COMMERCIAL) A 1970 Ford Torino, seen in the commercial for Happy Herb's Used Cars in "The Lawndale File" (#311). Fans of 1970's cop shows will know it as the signature vehicle on Starsky & Hutch.
TIMOTHY O'NEILL'S CAR Reflecting the safe, easygoing, non-adventurous nature of its owner, Mr. O'Neill's car is an early 1980's Saab 99 or 900 Sedan. Seen in "Monster" (#206).
TOM'S CAR #1 No doubt it's a Ford Pinto, but to be exact, this jalopy could be anything from a 1971 to 1973 model, before his parents had it towed away in the middle of the night. Most cars began adding thicker 5-MPH "safety bumpers" in 1973, but Pintos had theirs in 1974, and Tom's Pinto doesn't have this feature. First seen in "Jane's Addition" (#313).
TOM'S CAR #2 "Grandma's old car" isn't a Mercedes-Benz, a Rolls-Royce, or an old BMW. It's a 1968 Jaguar 420G. Evidence can be found here. Note that many Daimlers share their bodies with Jaguars. First seen in "Is It Fall Yet?".
TOM'S DUNE BUGGY Only shown in the opening sequence from "Is It Fall Yet?", this lime green beach bouncer is clearly a former Volkswagen Beetle with a few of its original parts chopped off.
TRENT'S CAR Without a doubt, Trent's car (first seen in "The Invitation" (#102)) is a Plymouth Satellite coupe manufactured in 1973. Some possiblity exists that it's a Satellite Sebring to be more specific; however, the lack of a vinyl roof casts some doubts about that.
UPCHUCK'S CAR #1 Seen in "The Invitation" (#102), it's a Volvo sedan, possibly a 780.
UPCHUCK'S CAR #2
("THE LOVE MACHINE") 		Seen in "I Loathe a Parade" (#406), it's a 1966 Buick Convertible, probably a Wildcat.
WILLOW & COYOTE'S CAR Seen in "That Was Then, This is Dumb" (#205), the Yeagers' car is unquestionably a classic Volkswagen Beetle. Vintage is unknown, but best guess is 1968.
CARS WE'VE NEVER SEEN
  • Helen's Dodge Dart
  • Rita's MG
  • Doug Thompson's Chevrolet El Camino