I recently hosted a movie night and had a few friends come over to watch one of my favorite 1980s flicks. “The Goonies,” an adventure comedy film, was released on June 7, 1985, and became a box-office success, grossing over $124 million worldwide against a $19 million budget. Here at The ClassicCars.com Journal, we love movie cars. In the past, we’ve featured stories about Christine and Back to the Future, among many others.
You’ll recall that back in March, we took a look at the history and cultural impact of the Jeep Grand Cherokee which debuted in 1993. One of the vehicles that paved the way for the Grand Cherokee’s success was the original XJ-platform Cherokee, which first went into production for the 1984 model year under American Motors.
The XJ became wildly popular and remained in production (albeit with some cosmetic and engineering changes) through 2001 for the United States market. The legendary 4.0-liter inline-six, exceptional durability, and immense aftermarket support were some of the reasons why it became such a hit.
The opening sequence of “The Goonies” prominently features a black Cherokee 4×4 (with a manual transmission, even) driven by the film’s antagonists: the Fratelli family. Mama Fratelli, portrayed by Anne Ramsey, leads police on a chase through Astoria, Oregon — including a spirited drive along the beach alongside some lifted trucks in a racing competition.
“Trust in your old mother, boys,” Mama Fratelli says. “Throw her into four-wheel drive and hold onto your hats.” Later in the film, one of the characters, Chunk, comes across the Cherokee and realizes it was the one that had been involved in the chase. “An ORV. Bullet holes!” he said.
Back in 2023, my mom and I visited some of the filming locations for “The Goonies” during a trip to Oregon. The County Jail from the film has now been repurposed as the Oregon Film Museum, and parked out front was a Cherokee that was built as a replica of the movie vehicle. Yes, it had bullet holes in the tailgate!
The Cherokee — and the movie itself — evoke a lot of nostalgia for me, as my family had a 1988 Cherokee Laredo back in the early 1990s. Below is a picture that was taken of the vehicle before my dad swapped out the whitewall tires for something a little more conventional.
Now that boxy SUV designs are making a comeback, Cherokee models from the 1980s and 1990s are becoming even more sought-after. Does someone you know own one?
And by the way, I didn’t make my movie-night guests do the “Truffle Shuffle” to gain entry to the house, but I did make sure they each got a souvenir eye patch and a Baby Ruth candy bar.
