Hollywood lights replaced sunny paddocks for Luke Brown’s 1976 359 Peterbilt as it shares the screen with Mark Wahlberg in an up-and-coming movie.
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For a while, parading around truck shows was off the table as the Peterbilt transitioned from a display truck into a film star.
Shooting movies with A-list celebrities wasn’t originally the plan when Luke and his father spotted the rig that would soon become their pride and joy.
“We were driving home one day, and I had seen her sitting in the paddock, so I said to Dad we should go and make an offer, which the owner at the time accepted,” Luke says.
“We drove it home on a milk crate and the last seven years we’ve been restoring it.
“As a vehicle bodybuilder, every time I get a bit of spare money or time, I’ll fix it up a little bit more.
“It’s our family project that we’ve been working away at.”
Imported from California, the left-hand drive truck is used for display only.
“It started out as a day cab with no sleeper, then Dad was going to all these events and had nowhere to sleep, so we put a sleeper cab in it,” he says.
“Then we had to extend the chassis, tidy up the paint and make it presentable.
“It’s always been that blue colour; I haven’t painted it since I’ve owned it, but it looks great still.”
So, how did a display truck end up on the silver screen? The answer lies in serendipity.
“They used my friend’s truck as well, so I was contacted through him,” Luke says. “They must have seen the truck at an event that I did, Crawlin’ the Hume.”
It was this unexpected phone call that thrust his beloved truck into the Hollywood limelight – first starring in Play Dirty with Wahlberg, filmed in Sydney, then cruising over to Melbourne for two and a half months for the film, The Rising.
“The truck was selected in Melbourne to film as they recognised it from starring in the other movie,” Luke explains.
He briefly mingled with Wahlberg, asking him to sign the Peterbilt, however the actor unfortunately declined the offer.
“You can’t meet anyone on set, how can you? It’s like a circus in there,” Luke jokes.
“There’s people setting up, they come in, they film, and then they’re gone.
“You drop the truck off, you leave it there, they use it, they ring you, then you come and pick it up.”
Although contract restrictions keep him from sharing the finer details, Luke imagines the Peterbilt tackling intense driving scenes that showcase its striking appearance.
Despite Luke owning this now-famous Peterbilt, he has never worked as a truckie.
Born into the world of heavy vehicles, his father owned a transport business – but after he and his brother finished school, they were encouraged to pursue a trade rather than trucking.
“I went and finished my apprenticeship and started building trailers,” he says.
“Now I’m a workshop supervisor and dad is retired, he doesn’t drive trucks anymore. “My brother drives trucks – not for us, but for another company.
“Trucks have always been in the family, we’ve always had them. Right now we still own a few, but none of them are working, they’re all for show.”
Luke’s classic blue rig is set to grace cinemas twice next year, so the next time you catch a blue Peterbilt rumbling across the silver screen, remember its journey from the dusty roads Down Under to Hollywood fame.
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