Who cannot have heard of the ‘killer truck’ from Steven Spielberg’s first feature film, Duel. After seeing the film again in the winter of 2010-11, a decision was quickly made to build a remote-controlled model of it, using the elements of a metal building kit and some other parts.

For the film, several vehicles were prepared, and they differ in many details. The original tractor unit was a 1956 Peterbilt 281. Spielberg had deliberately chosen this type, since the split front window and the round headlights looked similar to a face. Together with the optically strong wear and rusty/dirty colour, the truck finally got its threatening appearance. This vehicle was destroyed at the end of the film during its descent into a gorge.

As the original vehicle was not in good condition, a 1960 model with a 1948