Editing List of ground vehicles

{{Disline|This article details the various ground-based, driven vehicles seen throughout the different iterations of the ''Battlestar Galactica'' franchise. For aerospace craft, see [[Viper]] and [[Raptor]].}}

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|''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 [[The Twelve Colonies of Kobol|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.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ 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, Part I|The Gun on Ice Planet Zero]]"
| Specialized variant of the Landram for arctic conditions.
|-
| '''[[Power sled|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]]. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_17906-Ferrari-Dino-308-GT4-F106AL.html|title=1974 Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 in "Battlestar Galactica"|publisher=Internet Movie Cars Database|accessdate=2025-07-22}}</ref>
|-
| '''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]]. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_105267-FMC-M501.html|title=FMC M501 in "Battlestar Galactica"|publisher=Internet Movie Cars Database|accessdate=2025-07-22}}</ref>
|-
| '''Thiokol Snowcat'''
| Civilian Utility
| "[[Saga of a Star World]]"
| The real-world chassis for the Landram and its variants. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imcdb.org/movie_76984-Battlestar-Galactica.html|title=Vehicles of Battlestar Galactica (1978)|publisher=Internet Movie Cars Database|accessdate=2025-07-22}}</ref>
|}

== ''Galactica 1980'' ==
The sequel series [[Galactica 1980|''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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imcdb.org/movie_80221-Galactica-1980.html|title=Vehicles of Galactica 1980|publisher=Internet Movie Cars Database|accessdate=2025-07-22}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ 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 [[w:Japanese_domestic_market|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.<ref>[[Podcast:Caprica pilot|Podcast for ''Caprica'' pilot]], timestamp 00:09:22</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Selected Ground Vehicles in ''Caprica''
|-
! Year
! Make
! Model
! Episode(s) of Appearance
! Notes
|-
| 1971
| [[w:Citroën|Citroën]]
| DS 20
| "[[Rebirth]]", "[[The Reins of a Waterfall]]"
| An iconic retro-futuristic car seen throughout the series.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.imcdb.org/movie_1586232-Caprica.html|title=Vehicles of Caprica|publisher=Internet Movie Cars Database|accessdate=2025-07-22}}</ref>
|-
| 1960
| [[w:Cadillac|Cadillac]]
| Fleetwood 75
| "[[The Imperfections of Memory]]"
| Used by the [[Ha'la'tha]] crime syndicate.<ref name=":0" />
|-
| 1991
| [[w:Nissan|Nissan]]
| Figaro
| "[[The Heavens Will Rise]]"
| Rare, retro-styled JDM convertible.<ref name=":0" />
|-
| 1989
| [[w:Nissan|Nissan]]
| S-Cargo
| "[[Rebirth]]"
| Whimsical, snail-shaped JDM van.<ref name=":0" />
|-
| 1970
| [[w:Rolls-Royce|Rolls-Royce]]
| Silver Shadow I
| "[[Ghosts in the Machine]]"
| Driven by [[Tomas Vergis]], signifying wealth and power.<ref name=":0" />
|}
=== ''Battlestar Galactica'' (2003-2009) ===
The main series continued the aesthetic established in ''Caprica'' for scenes set before the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|Fall]], while shifting to utilitarian military vehicles for the [[New Caprica]] storyline.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ 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) <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_17908-Tatra-87.html|title=1946 Tatra 87 in "Battlestar Galactica"|publisher=Internet Movie Cars Database|accessdate=2025-07-22}}</ref>
|-
| N/A
| '''[[w:Hummer|Hummer]]'''
| Civilian SUV
| "[[Resistance]]"
| Pre-Fall Caprica (Starbuck's vehicle) 
|-
| 1987
| '''[[w:SAAB_900|SAAB 900]]'''
| Civilian Car
| ''[[The Plan]]''
| Pre-Fall Caprica (Tory Foster's car) <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_303028-Saab-900-1987.html|title=1987 Saab 900 in "Battlestar Galactica: The Plan"|publisher=Internet Movie Cars Database|accessdate=2025-07-22}}</ref>
|-
| 1984
| '''[[w:Avanti|Avanti]]'''
| Civilian Car
| "[[Downloaded]]"
| Pre-Fall Caprica (Parking Garage) <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imcdb.org/movie_407362-Battlestar-Galactica.html|title=Vehicles of Battlestar Galactica (2004)|publisher=Internet Movie Cars Database|accessdate=2025-07-22}}</ref>
|-
| 1985
| '''[[w:HMMWV|AM General HMMWV M998]]'''
| Military Truck
| "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]", "[[Precipice]]"
| New Caprica Resistance <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imcdb.org/movie_407362-Battlestar-Galactica.html|title=Vehicles of Battlestar Galactica (2004)|publisher=Internet Movie Cars Database|accessdate=2025-07-22}}</ref>
|-
| 1985
| '''Chevrolet CUCV M-1009'''
| Military Truck
| "[[Exodus, Part I]]"
| New Caprica Resistance <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imcdb.org/movie_407362-Battlestar-Galactica.html|title=Vehicles of Battlestar Galactica (2004)|publisher=Internet Movie Cars Database|accessdate=2025-07-22}}</ref>
|-
| N/A
| '''AM General M-35 A2'''
| Military Truck
| "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]"
| New Caprica Settlers <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imcdb.org/movie_407362-Battlestar-Galactica.html|title=Vehicles of Battlestar Galactica (2004)|publisher=Internet Movie Cars Database|accessdate=2025-07-22}}</ref>
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Indicator|Caprica}}{{Indicator|TOS}}{{Indicator|1980}}{{Indicator|TRS}}
[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Caprica (series)]]
[[Category:TRS]]
[[Category:RDM]]
[[Category:TOS]]
[[Category:1980]]
[[Category:Colonial Society]]