One of the most recognizable trucks from the movie Convoy is the 1977 Mack RS-712LST. This iconic vehicle was made famous in the 1978 movie by Sam Peckinpah and starred an all-star cast. The film, which also had the popular CB Radio, sparked a huge interest in trucking and the technology that fueled it.
The cab of the truck used by Kris Kristofferson in the movie Convoy is usually depicted as a 1977 Mack RS712LST, though several RS700L series trucks were also used as doubles and stationary props. In addition, the original “Bandit” Trans Am, built in 1956, is preserved at the Performace Car Museum in Sioux Falls, SD.
What Happened to the Mack Truck From Convoy?
The Mack RS-712LST was featured in the 1978 movie Convoy. The film was directed by Sam Peckinpah and starred an all-star cast. The truck featured a turbocharged 283 horsepower inline six-cylinder diesel engine and a 220-inch wheelbase. The production company, EMI, commissioned Mack to build a visually attractive truck for the movie.
The film depicts the bulldog Convoy, a mission that involved 11 Mack trucks, bulldozers, and a team of unbreakable men. It was a time of Cold War tensions between the Soviet Union and the Western nations. These countries feared atomic war with Russia, as their nuclear bombers could fly over the Arctic Circle and deploy their weapons.
One of the Mack trucks was gutted for the movie, and it has been remodeled since the movie. The other truck was used for props. A few parts of the truck have been replaced, but the main part is still intact. It might even pop up on EBay at some point.
Where is the Truck From the Movie Convoy?
The Mack truck featured in the movie Convoy was a 1977 RS-712LST. It was reworked by truck enthusiasts and still exists today. The film also featured several other Mack RS700L series trucks. So, the next time you drive by a truck, you may be driving past the legendary truck of the Rubber Duck.
There are two ways to tell which truck was the Mack in the movie. First, there’s the cab shape and headlights. The second part of the truck is the engine. The Mack uses a tip-turbine engine. It sounds better than the Detroit diesel and would put on a show during a hard pull.
Another way to identify the Mack truck is to go to the truck museum where it’s on display. The movie is about a truck convoy and the Mack truck appears as the lead driver. This truck was custom-built for EMI Films and has a VIN of 35492. The Mack was rebuilt in the Mack factory in Hayward, California after the filming. Afterwards, the truck was sold to a man in Los Angeles. It was then used as a transfer dump truck.
Did Kris Kristofferson Drive the Truck in Convoy?
In the 1970s, Kris Kristofferson starred as a truck driver in a movie called Convoy. In the film, he drove a Mack RS786LST, a turbocharged diesel truck with a 220-inch wheelbase. Today, he owns a 1985 Kenworth W900B truck. His previous owner purchased the truck from a U.K. trucker, and he learned that the truck had been part of the Burt Reynolds-owned Skoal Bandit NASCAR team in the late 1980s.
Though Kris Kristofferson is known for his singing career, he has also acted in several films. In 1976, he starred in A Star is Born as the character John Norman Howard, winning a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. In 1978, he starred in a film called Convoy, which was based on C.W. McCall’s #1 hit song “Convoy.”
The film’s success helped Kristofferson become a beloved singer-songwriter and actor. His songs were covered by many artists. He also released a solo album that received a Grammy nomination in 2016.
What Mack is in Convoy?
If you’ve ever seen the movie Convoy, you’ve surely noticed the Mack RS-712LST. This truck was used in the movie and in most promotional shots. The movie was produced by EMI, who commissioned Mack to create an aesthetically appealing and unique truck for the movie.
What Engine Did the Mack From Convoy Have?
In the 1978 film, Convoy, Kris Kristofferson played the truck driver Martin “Rubber Duck.” While the film featured four different trucks, the film’s main character, Martin “Rubber Duck,” was driving the 1977 Mack RS-712LST. This truck was equipped with a Turbo Tip turbine inline six diesel engine that produced 283 horsepower and was driven by a 6-speed manual transmission.
The movie Convoy depicted a Mack truck that smashed things on the road, but the truck itself didn’t have a Detroit Diesel engine. The truck was actually loaded onto a flatbed trailer that was towed by another 18-wheeler. Despite these differences, the truck survived the film’s harrowing end and is still in fantastic shape.
The film’s soundtrack echoed that of the time period. Despite its fictional character, the lyrics incorporated trucker lingo, and references the RD’s truck driver Martin Penwald, a state trooper, and a Jaguar XK-E.
What Was Rubber Duck Hauling?
When a Rubber Duck is pulled over by a trucker, he claims that the young woman in the truck isn’t wearing pants and that her labia was flapping in the wind. Then he speeds up to pass her. As he takes pictures of her, he is not paying attention to the road. He even runs a cop off the road to make his point.
Today, the truck has many uses, from transporting eggs to transporting ice. One of the more interesting uses for a truck is as a movie prop. The truck was a popular movie prop in the 1970s, and now is owned by a museum in St. Louis, Missouri. It has even been featured in Quentin Tarantino’s film Death Proof.
The plot revolves around a series of accidents and mishaps. In the film, Rubber Duck meets Ali McGraw, Melissa, and Spider Mike. When the trio reaches Texas, they accidentally crush half of the town. Rubber Duck and his friends then head to the border, where they meet Sheriff “Dirty Lyle” Wallace, whose wife is in labor. When the truck convoy reaches the border of Mexico, Rubber Duck gets separated from the other truckers. The other truckers follow him and communicate through CB radios. As a result, the rubber duck is an unlikely hero.
What Engine Was in the Rubber Duck Mack?
The Rubber Duck Mack truck featured in the film Convoy is a 1977 Mack RS712LST. The film also featured several other Mack RS700L series trucks as stationary props and doubles. One of these, the “Bandit” Transam, is still in use and can be seen at the Performace Car Museum in Sioux Falls, SD. It has been in service as an over-the-road trucker since 1990.
There are some differences between the RD’s truck and the one in the Maxwell Mack, and it’s probably not the engine. Its headlight location and cab shape suggest that it was a Western Star truck. It also has an 8V92 engine, which sounds louder than the one in the Convoy Mack.
The actual engine that powered the Mack truck in the movie wasn’t a Detroit Diesel. The truck was loaded on a low-boy flatbed trailer and was pulled by another 18-wheeler. The sound effects of the film came from sound engineers dubbing the film to sound like a Mack running on a Detroit 8V71 2-stroke diesel engine.
Learn More Here:
3.) Best Trucks
