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Big Pete Is World’s Only “Real” Monster Truck, Now With Matching Monster Trailer

Monster trucks may be an American staple, but they also have quite a following in the UK. Of all the monster trucks to put on entertaining shows here (and across Europe, in general), Big Pete is the only one with true legend status.
Big Pete is unofficially the world's only "real" monster truck, now has a monster trailer to match 13 photos
Photo: BigPete.org
Big Pete is unofficially the world's only "real" monster truck, now has a monster trailer to matchBig Pete is unofficially the world's only "real" monster truck, now has a monster trailer to matchBig Pete is unofficially the world's only "real" monster truck, now has a monster trailer to matchBig Pete is unofficially the world's only "real" monster truck, now has a monster trailer to matchBig Pete is unofficially the world's only "real" monster truck, now has a monster trailer to matchBig Pete is unofficially the world's only "real" monster truck, now has a monster trailer to matchBig Pete is unofficially the world's only "real" monster truck, now has a monster trailer to matchBig Pete is unofficially the world's only "real" monster truck, now has a monster trailer to matchBig Pete is unofficially the world's only "real" monster truck, now has a monster trailer to matchBig Pete is unofficially the world's only "real" monster truck, now has a monster trailer to matchBig Pete is unofficially the world's only "real" monster truck, now has a monster trailer to matchBig Pete is unofficially the world's only "real" monster truck, now has a monster trailer to match
Big Pete is a very special kind of monster truck, in that it’s really a truck. In fact, as owner and driver Mike Murty says in the video at the bottom of the page, it is the only “real” monster truck in the world because it still has the original Peterbilt cabin. And that’s not all that makes Big Pete so special: as of 2019, it is also the only monster truck in the world with a matching monster trailer. Or so says Mike.

November is autoevolution’s Chevrolet Month, and Big Pete is all Chevrolet at heart. Powered by a big block 454ci (7.4-liter) Chevrolet V8 engine mated to a General Motors TH-400 3 speed automatic gearbox, it’s a beast of a monster truck. That’s because it retains the original Peterbilt 359 cabin, all steel and all aluminum, and runs on Michelin Mega X tires that cost £3,500 ($4,624) apiece.

Big Pete is unofficially the world's only "real" monster truck, now has a monster trailer to match
Photo: BigPete.org
Another thing that makes Big Pete different from all the other monster trucks, including its partner in crushing cars and entertaining crowds, Big Reaper, is the fact that it retains the original leaf spring suspension, with 5 shock absorbers in each corners. Those massive tires help with that, but driving it is specifically hard on the body, Mike explains.

“This is one of the only working monster trucks out there, still running leaf-sprung suspension – most drivers can't handle it because it is so hard on the body,” Mike explains. “It looks totally different from any other monster truck out there. The pressure that we run in these tires helps with the suspension.”

Big Pete was debuted in 2004 and, while not much is known about its origins, it’s been writing history ever since. It weighs about 7.5 tons and sits 15 feet (4.6 meters) high. As of 2019, Big Pete has a matching monster trailer, of which Mike says it was specifically built to crush cars as well. The only downside is that the trailer isn’t leveled, so it can’t carry anything – which would have arguably made any appearance all the more impressive.

Big Pete is unofficially the world's only "real" monster truck, now has a monster trailer to match
Photo: BigPete.org
The official description on the Big Pete Ltd website notes that it’s Europe’s most famous monster truck and that it’s traveled the continent with monster trucking events. With Mike at the wheel, Big Pete is known to jump as high as 15 feet (4.6 meters), leave no car uncrushed and deliver the fun, whether by ripping cars in half, smashing through trailers or going through fire.

“These trucks are car killing machines,” Mike says of his pride and joy. “It is an awesome and yet awful thing to drive at the same time.”

And get this, special guests can also enjoy this awesome yet awful experience. Because Big Pete is a two-seater and Mike is game for giving it his all, at certain events, winners and special guests are allowed in the cabin for very special rides.

Due to the developments of 2020 with the ongoing international health crisis, Big Pete has been sidelined for most of the year, along with Mike’s other trucks. Before that, though, it would always, without exception, deliver entertaining shows wherever it went, as shown in the second video at the bottom of the page. For its part, Mike’s company “guarantee[s] to prep all scrap cars to the highest standard, leaving no glass, plastic or pollutants.”

Big Pete is unofficially the world's only "real" monster truck, now has a monster trailer to match
Photo: BigPete.org
So here it is: Big Pete, unofficially the only “real” monster truck in the world, with a matching monster trailer, causing mayhem and entertaining crowds. At times like this, a heavy dose of wanton, pointless destruction is the best kind of medicine.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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