When it comes to motorsport, monster trucks are a popular spectator sport. But who created the first monster truck and when did it debut?
The answer lies in the 1970s when an American monster truck enthusiast by the name of Bob Chandler created the first 4×4 pickup truck to be converted into a monster truck. Named ‘Big Foot’, this vehicle was constructed using an old Ford F-250 pickup and stood at 8 feet tall! It featured 66 inch tires and a powerful V8 engine, allowing it to crush cars as part of its show performance.
Big Foot made its debut in April 1981 at a motocross event in St Louis and quickly gained popularity, becoming one of the most iconic and recognizable vehicles in motorsport history. Soon after, other drivers began converting their own 4×4 pickups into monster trucks for their own shows.
However, Big Foot was not the first vehicle to be used for monster truck stunts. That accolade goes to ‘Truck-a-Saurus’, a modified Chevrolet pickup created by Bob George in 1979. Truck-a-Saurus made its debut at an event in Akron Ohio and featured larger than normal tires and a modified suspension system that allowed it to jump higher than regular trucks.
Over time, more drivers converted their pickups into monster trucks, creating larger and more powerful vehicles that could perform even more daring stunts than before. Today, there are hundreds of different types of monster trucks performing all around the world, all thanks to Bob Chandler’s original idea with Big Foot back in 1981.
Conclusion: The first ever Monster Truck was created by Bob Chandler in 1981 named Big Foot which was based on Ford F-250 pickup truck with 66 inch tires and V8 engine; however TrucK-a-Saurus by Bob George was the first vehicle which performed stunts like jumping higher than regular trucks back in 1979.
