List of ground vehicles

The use of ground vehicles in Battlestar Galactica serves as a key indicator of each series' production philosophy and narrative focus. The Original Series primarily featured bespoke, futuristic military hardware, while its sequel, Galactica 1980, relied exclusively on contemporary Earth automobiles. The Re-imagined Series and its prequel, Caprica, adopted a "curated naturalism," using specific real-world but often obscure vehicles to create a unique cultural aesthetic for the Twelve Colonies.

Original Series (1978)

The ground vehicles of the Original Series were designed to be rugged, functional, and non-terrestrial, reinforcing the Colonial military's role as a mobile force.

Terra and its colonies also made use of ground vehicles.

Ground Vehicles in Battlestar Galactica (1978)

Vehicle	Type	Episode(s) of Appearance	Notes
Landram	Military Transport	"Saga of a Star World"	Tracked, all-terrain armored transport vehicle.
Snowram	Military Transport	"The Gun on Ice Planet Zero"	Specialized variant of the Landram for arctic conditions.
Power Sled	Military Transport	"The Lost Warrior"	A smaller, unarmed tracked vehicle for personnel and equipment.
1974 Dino 308 GT4	Civilian Car	"Experiment in Terra"	Anachronistic terrestrial sports car driven by Brenda Maxwell.
FMC M501	Military Utility	"Experiment in Terra"	Anachronistic tracked military utility vehicle, seen in reuse of missile footage as the Eastern Alliance prepares its decisive final strike against the Nationalists.
Thiokol Snowcat	Civilian Utility	"Saga of a Star World"	The real-world chassis for the Landram and its variants.

Galactica 1980

The sequel series Galactica 1980 abandoned bespoke vehicle design with few exceptions, setting its story on contemporary Earth and using a vast array of stock automobiles from the 1960s and 1970s. This shift reflected the show's reduced budget and its "strangers in a strange land" narrative.

Selected Ground Vehicles in Galactica 1980

Year	Make	Model	Type	Episode(s) of Appearance
1974	AMC	Hornet	Car	"The Night the Cylons Landed, Part I"
1977	Dodge	Monaco	Car	"Galactica Discovers Earth, Part I"
1979	Ford	Econoline	Van	"Galactica Discovers Earth, Part II"
N/A	Harley-Davidson	Custom Chopper	Motorcycle	"Galactica Discovers Earth, Part I"
1979	Mazda	RX-7	Car	"Galactica Discovers Earth, Part I"
1940	Volkswagen	Kübelwagen	Military	"Galactica Discovers Earth, Part II"
1978	Chevrolet	Nova	Car	"The Super Scouts, Part I"
1975	Plymouth	Fury	Car	"The Night the Cylons Landed, Part II"

Re-imagined Series (2003-2010)

The Re-imagined Series and its prequels adopted a sophisticated world-building philosophy for their vehicles, using real-world cars to create a sense of a familiar, yet alien, culture.

Caprica (2010)

To create a unique "Caprican" identity, the production team for Caprica deliberately populated its streets with cars that would be unfamiliar to most North American viewers. This included a mix of classic European models, modern high-end cars, and, most notably, rare vehicles from the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM). This decision stemmed from a desire to ground the world in a recognizable reality while avoiding futuristic "air cars" or other common science fiction tropes. The mandate was to make the cars "interesting" and "exotic" to American eyes, contributing to the show's overall aesthetic.

Selected Ground Vehicles in Caprica

Year	Make	Model	Episode(s) of Appearance	Notes
1971	Citroën	DS 20	"Rebirth", "The Reins of a Waterfall"	An iconic retro-futuristic car seen throughout the series.
1960	Cadillac	Fleetwood 75	"The Imperfections of Memory"	Used by the Ha'la'tha crime syndicate.
1991	Nissan	Figaro	"The Heavens Will Rise"	Rare, retro-styled JDM convertible.
1989	Nissan	S-Cargo	"Rebirth"	Whimsical, snail-shaped JDM van.
1970	Rolls-Royce	Silver Shadow I	"Ghosts in the Machine"	Driven by Tomas Vergis, signifying wealth and power.

Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009)

The main series continued the aesthetic established in Caprica for scenes set before the Fall, while shifting to utilitarian military vehicles for the New Caprica storyline.

Ground Vehicles in Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)

Year	Make/Model	Type	Episode(s) of Appearance	Context/Location
1946	Tatra 87	Civilian Car	"Downloaded"	Pre-Fall Caprica (Parking Garage)
N/A	Hummer	Civilian SUV	"Resistance"	Pre-Fall Caprica (Starbuck's vehicle)
1987	SAAB 900	Civilian Car	The Plan	Pre-Fall Caprica (Tory Foster's car)
1984	Avanti	Civilian Car	"Downloaded"	Pre-Fall Caprica (Parking Garage)
1985	AM General HMMWV M998	Military Truck	"Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II", "Precipice"	New Caprica Resistance
1985	Chevrolet CUCV M-1009	Military Truck	"Exodus, Part I"	New Caprica Resistance
N/A	AM General M-35 A2	Military Truck	"Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II"	New Caprica Settlers