Higginsboat Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 Hi everyone, first post, here goes. The Merc GMC truck from the iconic film Raiders of the lost Ark, built by the late great Charlie Mann. Is in one of my favourite vehicle chases of all time, and filmed for real on location in Tunisia back in 1980! Is there anyone on the HMVF forum who might have any info story's or pics about this truck being built that they would be willing to share, any nugget is of interest! And if you or you know of someone who was involved in its prep, wow..... well cheers. "Truck what truck" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Johns Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 (edited) If I remember right at least Three replica Mercedes trucks were built by Charlie Mann using lengthened 6x6 GMC chassis for the Raiders film, there was also complete cabs mounted on camera tracking rigs to film the fight scenes in the cab...the late Tony Oliver, who supplied all the other vehicles in the film, owned one of the trucks for some years after the film, I drove it several times on other productions, He sold it and it ended up in the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland Florida, Edited November 22, 2018 by Nick Johns 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higginsboat Posted November 8, 2018 Author Share Posted November 8, 2018 Hi Nick, thanks for the reply. Really interested in your story. Could I ask do you remember what the other productions were? As I would love to look them up.... And what do you remember of driving it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higginsboat Posted November 8, 2018 Author Share Posted November 8, 2018 And thanks for the link, that's the truck for sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higginsboat Posted November 8, 2018 Author Share Posted November 8, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higginsboat Posted November 8, 2018 Author Share Posted November 8, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 (edited) I have a Raiders of the Lost Ark Leather Jacket! 😁 Designed and made by Peter Boteright of Wested Leather Swanley Kent. He designed the jackets for the three films, and sells reproductions. Ideal adition to your MV. Seriuosly there is half a cow skin in them. Nice and toasty to wear. https://www.wested.com/ Edited November 10, 2018 by Tony B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higginsboat Posted November 10, 2018 Author Share Posted November 10, 2018 Hi Tony B, thanks for your post. I too have a jacket by Wested and can't recomend them enough! Looks just like the movie jacket, well made and in GB by the makers of the film version. Good value too I think. I believe the main man there Peter has passed away, he was a real ruff diamond, great guy. But Wested is a friendly place and do a lot of other jackets, Memphis Belle is a good one and James Bond! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higginsboat Posted November 11, 2018 Author Share Posted November 11, 2018 I'm still going to rattle on about the Raiders film truck if anyone else has any info, that would be great. It lived in the UK through the 80s, and just into the 90s, so I'm hoping someone might have seen it at a show or maybe have a pic of it somewhere? the truck was on display at Lamanva in the Late 80s. the colour had changed from grey to desert camo. Has it rang a bell with anyone....... 🤞 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Johns Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 (edited) Higginsboat, you refer to a single Raiders truck, as I said in my previous post , there were Three identical replica Merc trucks built for the film, the link below are pics of Charlie Manns Lamanva museum with pics of the Three Raiders trucks, pics 10, 13, & 23 I knew of one of the trucks that Tony Oliver owned in 1984/5 but no idea what became of the other two http://miliblog.co.uk/?cat=304 Just found this online, Pic of the other Two Raiders trucks outside the museum or may have been at the auction sale when everything was sold Edited November 11, 2018 by Nick Johns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higginsboat Posted November 11, 2018 Author Share Posted November 11, 2018 Hi Nick, thanks for the reply and link. Very interesting pics. I don't think the grey truck is a Raiders truck but the desert one is... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higginsboat Posted November 11, 2018 Author Share Posted November 11, 2018 Hello from Cornwall Eugene replied to Eugene's topic in Introductions & Welcomes ...The German trucks (there was a couple) from "Raiders" were actually modified "airborne" GMCs (shame!) the Shermans were made out of wood and fibre-glass mounted on (possibly "lightweight") Land-Rovers, these and the replica Horsa were made for "A Bridge Too Far". The latter is now at Preston Isaac... October 31, 2007 Is Eugene still around, Tony B I think you have spoken to him a few times, any idea? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 Don't know. I've changed my brand of tablets since then. 😀 Unfortunatley age and some health problems, the bikes now have a new owner. Still got the Dodges though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higginsboat Posted November 13, 2018 Author Share Posted November 13, 2018 This is a pic of the real German truck that the film vehicle represents... Quite close I think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higginsboat Posted November 13, 2018 Author Share Posted November 13, 2018 This is the film truck, would anybody recognise the doors on the film truck, as I think they may be from another vehicle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higginsboat Posted November 13, 2018 Author Share Posted November 13, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higginsboat Posted November 13, 2018 Author Share Posted November 13, 2018 Edge view of lock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogmaner Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 Looks like land rover hinges ,unimog door handles and indicators look like the one's fitted to my unimog 401 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higginsboat Posted November 13, 2018 Author Share Posted November 13, 2018 Hi Thanks mogmaner, don't suppose you'd have a pic of your door handles and indicators to hand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogmaner Posted November 14, 2018 Share Posted November 14, 2018 Not sure how well this will show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higginsboat Posted November 14, 2018 Author Share Posted November 14, 2018 Thanks for the pics. I think your right mogmaner, the handles look the same! So does that mean they are a genuine Merc part? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogmaner Posted November 14, 2018 Share Posted November 14, 2018 Yes the handles are common to merc and maybe other German trucks. Yoused on unimogs from the first 2010 mog of 1947 though into the 404s in the 1970s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higginsboat Posted November 14, 2018 Author Share Posted November 14, 2018 Thanks for the info, great👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higginsboat Posted November 18, 2018 Author Share Posted November 18, 2018 Well hmm, just seen these on an American truck. So may not be Merc after all lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higginsboat Posted November 18, 2018 Author Share Posted November 18, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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