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Judge Dredd Land Rover
Judge Dredd Land Rover
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The Dreadful Judge Dredd

From Dale Wickell,
Your Guide to Trucks.
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Remember the movie Judge Dredd? No? That's okay, it wasn't one of Sylvester Stallone's most memorable films, but it did result in a few interesting custom vehicles. Some were built on Land Rover frames, although you'd never guess they were Land Rovers at first glance.

The prop department took a Land Rover forward-control truck and stripped away its body. Then they placed a formed fiberglass body on the chassis. We think at least one of the vehicles was fitted with an interior so that it could be used for scenes.

The hot-pink and grey vehicle in the photo above is more basic. The only interior pieces in it are the original Land Rover seats; behind the seats are a gas tank and the frame–no floor, so you can see the road zipping by as you drive.

The truck was once owned by the Land Rover Centre where I work. We affectionately called it Judge Dredd (very original). The Judge Dredd has one, small fiberglass door. To pass through the door you must first put a foot up on the front tire, then crawl in (while trying to avoid falling on your face). Once inside you can position yourself in the front seat.

There are tiny windows in the front and none in the back, so driving this right-hand-drive vehicle requires two people–a driver behind the wheel and a passenger to watch for traffic. To see out the windshield you must tilt your head to one side or the other and lean forward, so it's definitely not a road trip vehicle.

Like many other movie vehicles, Judge Dredd was built for a specific look, not a functional drive. It's a novelty. While we had it, the truck drew lots of attention from passers-by and from the crowds at parades and events–but it was definitely a challenge to drive.

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