Why Grave Digger Remains the Most Famous Monster Truck on the Planet

If you were to walk around and ask 100 people on the street to name a monster truck for you, there is a good chance the majority of them would respond with “Grave Digger.” While there are certainly other monster trucks like Maximum Destruction, Monster Mutt, and, of course, Bigfoot, that have made names for themselves over the years, Grave Digger is still the standard for most people. Even if people don’t know anything else about monster trucks, they’ve usually at least heard of Grave Digger before. Here are some of the reasons why Grave Digger remains the most famous monster truck in the world.

It has been around for a long time.

History of the Grave Digger Monster Truck

Grave Digger has a history that dates back almost 40 years. The original Grave Digger was built in 1982 by Dennis Anderson, who eventually spent about 35 years driving Grave Digger. Anderson created Grave Digger using a 1957 Ford pickup truck, and at first, he used it primarily as a mud bogger. However, during one of his early mud bogging shows, there was a monster truck that was supposed to make an appearance and never showed. Anderson told the promoter of the show that he would be happy to use Grave Digger, which had large tractor tires on it at the time, to crush some cars. The promoter allowed him to do it, and Grave Digger was a hit right from the start. The truck earned rave reviews for its ability to crush cars, and Anderson decided to stop using it as a mud bugger and start using it as a monster truck instead.

It has one of the coolest names in the monster truck industry.

If Grave Digger hadn’t been called Grave Digger right from the start, would it have ended up being as popular as it was? There’s obviously no way of knowing. Nevertheless, you could argue that its name has played a big part in its popularity over the years, and its name has a very interesting back story to it. When Anderson first introduced his truck to the world, some of his fellow mud boggers talked trash to him about how beat-up it looked. He responded by saying, “I’ll take this old junk and dig you a grave with it.” And just like that, the name Grave Digger was born. It kind of makes you wonder what might have happened if Anderson’s fellow mud boggers didn’t give him such a hard time about his truck.

It has a really amazing look.

When Anderson decided to stop using Grave Digger as a mud bogger in 1984 so that he could focus on using it as a monster truck, he utilized a 1951 Ford van to rebuild it. It had silver and blue paint on it, so those were the colors Anderson stuck with at first. But by 1986, Anderson realized that the truck needed a new look that would set it apart from the pack so he gave Grave Digger its signature black graveyard paint job. The design on the outside of Grave Digger has evolved a lot since then and now includes a lot of bright green and purple colors. Nonetheless, the Grave Digger theme that Anderson used for the first time over 30 years ago remains. What’s more, it’s still setting Grave Digger apart from the pack just like it did all the way back then.

It has accomplished so much over the years.

Although Grave Digger carved out a niche for itself in the late 1980s thanks to its trademark look and Anderson’s hard-charging, no-nonsense approach to driving, it’s important to note that both the truck and Anderson have achieved a lot of other things over the last four decades. Grave Digger scored its first big win in 1987 by defeating Bigfoot during a show that was taped for ESPN. And the truck has been doing nothing but winning ever since. From scoring early victories over other famous trucks like Bigfoot to winning championships as part of Monster Jam, Grave Digger has proven time and time again that it is a winner, both with and without Anderson behind the wheel. It’s why Grave Digger is as famous as it is today.

There will never be another Grave Digger. But if you would like to try and make your mark on the monster truck world by creating a great truck of your own, SCS Gearbox will be here to help. We can supply you with a lot of the important parts you’ll need to bring your monster truck to life. Call us at 419-483-7278 to place an order.