One of the most iconic horror movie vehicles of the 21st century is the Creeper’s truck from the Jeepers Creepers franchise. Some think it’s a complete fabrication and are surprised to learn the truck that looks so odd to them is in fact a slightly modified 1941 Chevy COE (cab over engine) truck commonly used for industrial jobs both in the US and abroad prior to WWII.
Learn why nobody bought David Spades sinister muscle car here.
The heavy-duty truck features a “cow catcher” up front that gives it a more menacing look. Originally, such a device was used on locomotives to push cattle and other obstacles off the track, preventing a derailing. It has a very practical function in the movie as the Creeper runs his victims off the road.
There were actually three Creeper trucks made for the first movie, although only two were functional. In most movie and TV productions, multiple vehicles are used for different filming purposes, so this isn’t unusual at all. Actually, only having three movie vehicles for a highly featured ride is on the low end.
The first Chevy COE might not have appeared in any movie shots, although there’s some debate about that. Truck two was used in running shots and had its original 216 six-cylinder engine and 4-speed transmission. As for the third truck, it received a modern Chevy V8 heart transplant paired with an automatic transmission, making it ideal as a stunt vehicle.
In Jeepers Creepers 3 we learn that the Creeper has modified his truck with booby traps in case anyone tries getting inside (or attempts to escape once caught). When a group of police officers find and investigate the vehicle, realizing it’s loaded with dead bodies, one gets impaled by spikes which extend into the payload. Later, they discover the tailpipe can shoot a spear. That’s one way to get rid of tailgaters.
Another detail you might not have caught is the license plate for the Creeper’s truck. It’s a vanity plate “BEATNGU” which obviously translates to “Be Eating You.” How the state DMV didn’t catch such a phrase is the real mystery of the movie.
