Judge Dredd was one of Sylvester Stallone's films however not one of his most successful ones. According to some of the critics, the props were the stars of the show and one of these was a customized Land Rover.
The year is 2139 and the setting is Mega City (our present New York City). American society has deteriorated into a state of barbarianism. Violence is the order of the day. Neighborhoods engage in gang wars and are patrolled by street judges who are combination judges, juries and executioners. However, New York, today or in the future, would not be New York without a taxi service. Enter the taxis of the future, the 'city cabs.'
According to the specifications, the vehicles had to accommodate six passengers in a maximum protective environment. So, as one might imagine, the vehicle resembled a tank mounted on wheels with rubber tires.
It was a right hand drive vehicle with two tiny windows in the front. There were no back or side windows. Therefore, in order to drive the vehicle, a driver and a navigator were needed. The driver controlled the vehicle from behind the wheel while the navigator watched for traffic. In order to see through the windshield, the driver had to tilt his head from side to side while leaning forward.
To get into the vehicle, one had to step up on the front tire and crawl inside without falling.
In 2139 Land Rovers are the world's only vehicles.
So the 'city cabs' were custom built on a Land Rover 101 Forward Control chassis. The green oval logo is visible on the front.
The Land Rover 101 Forward Control had originally been built for the British Army to tow a L118 field gun together with a ton of ammunition and other equipment. It also had to be easy to transport by air.
Consequently, the engine was placed under and to the rear of the cab and the front hood was eliminated. This resulted in a cube shape, which made it space efficient during air transport. This basic shape also contributed to the futuristic appearance of the 'city cabs.' Other 'futuristic' features are the large wheels and tires. There is a 'wheel step' for the crew to use to enter the vehicle.
At the time the film was conceived, Land Rover had a designer, David Woodhouse, who had experimented with work on futuristic Land Rovers and already had some ideas to use for the 'city cabs.' So Land Rover's design team, led by Gordon Sked, submitted their ideas to the producers and Land Rover was awarded the contract to produce thirty-one vehicles
They modified the 101's by removing the body and replacing it with a fiberglass body equipped with the small windows in the front and the one small fiberglass door. To emphasize the cuboid appearance all rounded edges or panels were eliminated. The wheels were also extended ten inches. All of these modifications combined provided the aggressive, futuristic look that the vehicles displayed in the film.
There are still several of these vehicles in existence. While not easy to drive, they are in drivable condition and often turn up at Land Rover events.
Submitted by: Brenda Williams
About Today's Contributor
Brenda wrote this article on behalf of National Transport, a site where you can find out info about car transport in Columbus, Ohio.
Judge Dredd (1995) - Trailer
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