10 Killer Facts About The Trucker's '55 Peterbilt 281 - DUEL

In the 1971 movie "DUEL," the Peterbilt 281 truck serves as a menacing and relentless antagonist, looming large on the screen with its imposing presence. A symbol of mechanical power and unyielding force, the Peterbilt 281 becomes a character in its own right, instilling fear and unease in viewers. With its gleaming rusty grimy grille, roaring engine, and colossal size, the truck inflicts an embodiment of terror as it relentlessly pursues the protagonist's car, showcasing the raw and unrelenting power of the open road. Its distinctive appearance and unwavering pursuit make the Peterbilt 281 an iconic and unforgettable element of the movie, leaving a lasting impression on audiences.

-Enjoy

[hard-wired-g]

I first saw this movie around 1976 as a 12 year old and is probably one of the reasons I've been driving a tanker truck for the last 25 years.😁

[lonnyjaw]

Oh yeah, seeing this movie as a 9 year old kid was something else! Instead of a guy in a monster suit - it was THIS, and was I ever captivated! And right now I'm in the process of putting finishing touches on a Duel 1/25 scale model of this truck - and I'm having a BLAST with it putting grease and grime accents on it - sooo cool!!

[jeffbyrnes]

The one and only road rage film. A masterpiece. Brilliant.

[Ecosse]

i saw this on tv as a kid in the mid-70s and it frightened the heck out of me.

[gregmaday]

A few others that would be interesting would be... Jim Rockford's Firebird, The Fall Guy GMC 4x4, Snowman's Kenworth in the original Smokey and the Bandit, Rubber Duck Mack in Convoy, Magnum's Ferrari 308, Knight Rider Firebird. Just to name a few. 😊

[DuckReach]

The film that got Spielberg's movie career up and running. Overshadowed by his later work, but still a minor classic. The truck is a bit like the Barris car featured on this channel recently - evil manifested as a machine adversary. This is a great top ten.

[RexCars]

The Primary Truck for this movie was a 57. 281... The second rig used for the movie was a 64...THAT truck was a real 351.. The 60 Pete ( the only surviving truck left from the movie ) is a 281 I know this because i am the former owner of the 60 ( one of the pix you have of the 60 is it sitting in my driveway here in Burbank CA )

[ianisaacs]

The only minor discrepancy I found is the other truck on screen was a 1964. The 64 doesn’t have the drip rail over the windshields like the 55 and 60. Great video, thank you very much!

[captlazer]

The crashing tanker scene from Duel were also used in an Incredible Hulk TV episode. Even as a kid I was wise to it.

[chadakoin]

Way back in high school, I knew someone who had a similar Plymouth Valiant that he paid $125 for and beat it to death. We were bouncing it off snow banks one afternoon when we noticed flames poking out from under the hood. Pulled over, popped the hood and tossed snow on it, fixed a leaky gas line, cranked it up and kept on going. This movie always makes me think of that.

[sleepyhollow]

Cannot believe that truck is from 1955!? Even though the movie is a 1971, the truck looked so modern to my novice eyes.

[AngerDuck]

2024 and still my favourite movie ever!

[bıçaklar_Aletler]

*Old Peterbilt 281 Truck İmmortal American🇺🇸Legend🦅*

[clarkgardiner]

Loved the film. These facts really helped me the mystery of mine with the film.👍

[carlapatricia]

Passado caminhão homem rosto nada mau terror 😮carro ele medo hum..1971 53 anos

[aaronliddell]

Great film! It was literally Jaws on wheels 👍

[hueymontgomery]

This video is great! Now make video of killer facts about christine (1958 Plymouth Fury)

[ianisaacs]

You made my dreams come true. Thank you

[scottb]

The 281 had one drive axle and a non-powered dual wheel tag axle, , while the 351's were tandem dive axles.

[thomasglynn]

I grew up on those "complicated" 5X3 or 5X4 (Mack, Spicer) twin sticks and you couldn't beat them, yes Eaton and Fuller where simpler, but you had more ratio range with the older transmissions.