This is the highly-modified Peterbilt tow truck from the 2019 film Fast & Furious Hobbs & Shaw. It’s used in a memorable scene starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, who use it to take down Idris Elba’s Black Hawk helicopter.
This truck is based on a Chevrolet Suburban chassis fitted with a Peterbilt truck body and a 6.2 liter LS3 V8 that’s capable of 525 bhp and 400+ lb ft of torque. It’s now being offered for sale with California road registration out of Airway Heights, Washington and apparently it cost $285,000 USD to build.
Fast Facts – The Peterbilt Tow Truck From “Hobbs & Shaw”
- This is the custom-built tow truck from the 2019 film Fast & Furious Hobbs & Shaw starring Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, and Idris Elba. It was later used for promotional purposes, and Dwayne Johnson drove it to the premier of the film.
- The truck has a Chevrolet Suburban chassis and a modified Peterbilt truck body. The running gear and drive train have been significantly upgraded to withstand the rigors of filming, as this truck was used during one of the film’s more memorable scenes to take down a Black Hawk helicopter.
- It’s powered by a 525 bhp 6.2 liter LS3 V8 which sends power back through a limited-slip differential to the rear wheels. The truck has King adjustable remote-reservoir coilover shock absorbers on all four corners and four wheel disc brakes.
- After filming the truck was used extensively for promotional purposes. It’s now being offered for sale and interestingly it’s road legal and comes with a California title.
Hobbs & Shaw: A Fast & Furious Spin Off
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw is a spin-off from the Fast & Furious franchise, focusing on two characters: Luke Hobbs (played by Dwayne Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (played by Jason Statham). The film is directed by David Leitch and was released in 2019.
Above Video: This is a clip from the film that shows this truck being used. It’s being driven by Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson is riding on the back to throw a chain around a Black Hawk helicopter. As you do.
Luke Hobbs, a loyal agent of America’s Diplomatic Security Service, and Deckard Shaw, a former British military elite operative, are two men who have repeatedly clashed in the past due to their differing methods and personalities – however, they’re now forced to team up against a common enemy.
The plot kicks off when a cyber-genetically enhanced anarchist, Brixton Lore (played by Idris Elba), gains control of a bio-threat that could change humanity forever. This threat puts the world at risk, prompting the CIA to intervene. The virus, dubbed “Snowflake”, has been stolen by MI6 operative Hattie Shaw (played by Vanessa Kirby), who is also Deckard’s estranged sister.
Hobbs and Shaw are both recruited to retrieve the virus and save Hattie, who has been framed for the theft and murder of her team. Despite their mutual disdain, Hobbs and Shaw must navigate their way through action-packed fights, high-speed chases, and locations around the globe as they attempt to thwart Brixton.
Throughout the mission, Hobbs and Shaw deal with personal conflicts and their antagonistic relationship, throwing insults and one liners at each other along the way. The film also delves into Hobbs’s background, including his relationship with his daughter and his Samoan family, offering a personal stake in the narrative.
Ultimately, their mission culminates in a high-stakes battle in Samoa, where Hobbs’s family joins the fray, emphasizing the franchise’s recurring theme of the importance of family.
Despite their differences, Hobbs and Shaw manage to work together to save Hattie and stop Brixton’s plan, but not without considerable explosions, stunts, and car chases that are a predictable hallmark of the Fast & Furious series.
The truck was specifically built for the movie, and due to its intended stunt use it’s fitted with King adjustable remote-reservoir coilover shock absorbers and disc brakes on all four corners.
The film ends with the door open for future adventures with Hobbs and Shaw, as they have developed a grudging respect for each other, setting the stage for potential sequels.
The Hobbs & Shaw Peterbilt Tow Truck Shown Here
This truck was built specifically for the movie, and even through it’s a prop vehicle it’s 100% functional and road-legal in California.
As briefly covered in the introduction the truck is built on a 1983 Chevrolet Suburban chassis which has been fitted with a highly-modified 1966 Peterbilt truck body, a multi-link suspension system, King adjustable remote-reservoir coilover shock absorbers, and a Lee power steering gearbox.
Inside the cab you’ll find Beard bucket seats trimmed in tan vinyl with cloth inserts, with diamond-stitched black vinyl on the door panels, rear bulkhead, and headliner. For safety while filming the truck was given a roll cage and a power cutoff switch.
The truck has an alloy dashboard fitted with AutoMeter gauges including a 5 digit odometer that shows 1,900 miles – this is the mileage since the build was completed, not including the mileage that would have been on the original Suburban chassis.
The 6.2 liter Chevrolet LS3 V8 crate engine is good for 525 bhp at 5,900 rpm and 425 lb ft of torque at 4,600 rpm, it’s equipped with electronic fuel injection, an alloy radiator, and a dual exhaust system.
In the cab you’ll find Beard bucket seats trimmed in tan vinyl with cloth inserts. The rest of the interior is trimmed in diamond stitched black vinyl, and it has an alloy dashboard with AutoMeter gauges and wood-rimmed steering wheel.
It’s worth noting that the hefty turbos that extend out from either side of the engine bay aren’t functional – the engine is naturally aspirated and the real exhaust system is underneath the truck.
Power is sent to the rear wheels via a 3-speed automatic transmission. It has a Currie Enterprises rear axle assembly and a Detroit Locker locking differential with 5.88:1 gearing. Disc brakes are fitted front and rear, and it rides on 8-lug 20” wheels with simulated beadlocks which are shod with 39.5×16.50″ Pit Bull Rocker tires. on all four corners.
The truck is now being offered for sale out of Airway Heights, Washington with a clean California title on Bring a Trailer. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
The truck shown in this article played a relatively major role in the film, it also appeared on many of the promotional film posters. Image courtesy of Universal Pictures.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
