trucks

Bigfoot

USA · Founded 1975

Heritage

Bigfoot isn't a manufacturer — it's a phenomenon. Bob Chandler started modifying his 1974 Ford F-250 in St. Louis, Missouri, adding bigger tires and suspension lift to handle the rough terrain of construction sites. By 1979, the truck had 48-inch tires and a name. In 1981, Bigfoot became the first vehicle to crush cars for entertainment. An entire motorsport category was born. Today, Bigfoot 4×4, Inc. operates multiple trucks numbered into the twenties, but the original is what matters: one man's obsession with making his truck bigger, which accidentally created monster truck racing.

Bigfoot Vehicles (1)

Bigfoot

Not applicable (museum piece) Truck

Engine: 460 cu in (7.5L) Ford V8 (varies by iteration)

Power: 640+ hp (current versions)

Trans: Custom

Years: 1975-present

Every monster truck show, every Grave Digger, every Monster Jam — they all trace back to one guy and his Ford F-250. Bob Chandler was a construction contractor in St. Louis who kept breaking parts on his truck and replacing them with bigger, stronger components. By 1979, the truck had 48-inch tires and the Bigfoot name. In 1981, a promoter asked if the truck could drive over some junk cars. It could. The crowd went insane. Chandler realized he'd stumbled onto something. Within years, monster truck shows were selling out arenas across America. Bigfoot didn't just create a vehicle — it created a spectator sport. And the name? Absolutely perfect. 'Bigfoot' captures everything: the massive tires, the legendary mystique, the sense that you're witnessing something that shouldn't exist. Chandler wasn't just a fabricator — he was a marketer who understood that a truck crushing cars needed a name that lived in the imagination. Sasquatch-level branding for a sasquatch-level machine.