Volo Museum | Fun Facts about the Ford Explorer from the original Jurassic Park at Volo Museum! @VoloMuseum | Uploaded March 2023 | Updated October 2024, 18 hours ago.
If you think the next movie car has something to do with dinosaurs you’re a clever girl. This is a replica of the 1992 Ford Explorer XLT used in the movie Jurassic Park. In the original Jurassic Park book by Michael Crichton, the cars were a set of electric Toyota Land Cruisers, but Director, Steven Spielberg, already had a deal with Ford to supply the cars for the film. Ford gave Spielberg seven Ford Explorers. They also used half-sized models for filming and a stripped-down model for the interior shots.
The full-sized cars were turned over to a company called Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) and, you guessed it, legendary car customizer, George Barris to heavily mod these cars. A large chunk of the roof was replaced by a special full-length sunroof. This was perfect for the scene where the T-Rex crashes through the top and tries to eat the kids.
Self-driving cars is common-place now, but in 1993 this idea was revolutionary. They didn’t have the technology, so to give the illusion that the Explorers were self-driving, the vehicles were modified with redundant controls in the trunk’s cargo area. So basically, a stunt driver was hidden in the trunk and controlled the car.
And speaking of rear-view mirrors, Steven Spielberg was in his car blasting Earth Wind & Fire when he noticed his rearview mirror shaking to the beat. This gave him the idea to have the Jeep’s mirror shake from the footsteps of the approaching T Rex. The effect was created by attaching a small vibrating motor behind the mirror.
The famous water ripples in the cup scene were surprisingly an extremely hard effect to produce. The ripples were made from a guitar string that was attached to the cups and then fed through and underneath the car. A crewman then pulled it tight and plucked the string to vibrate the water and get the iconic shot.
Another fun fact about this T-Rex scene, is that it originally wasn't going to be in the rain when it was first mapped out in preproduction. Later, Spielberg insisted that rain be added to the scene to make the T-Rex look more realistic and dramatic. The problem was that animatronics were already built, and the machinery wasn't designed to hold the extra weight from the rainwater. When it got too wet, it started to shake, so they frequently had to stop filming to swat its skin with towels to dry it off enough to continue filming.
Thank you for watching. Thank you for sharing. Thank you for following Volo Museum and instead of a joke, today, I leave you with Owl Kittie’s Jurassic Park But With a Cat.
Volo Museum is a World Famous, family-owned, all-day tourist destination in Volo, IL. We are know across the world for our all-indoor showroom rotating hundreds of classic and modern collector cars. Experience over 45 exhibits and over 10,000 mechanical marvels! Our attractions include over 50 iconic TV and Movie cars, a 15k sq ft Jurassic Gardens dinosaur park. Hollywood Train Tours & Museum, a mini golf course, one of the largest Antique Malls in the country and more! Our exhibits include a Coney Island Carousel Room, Early-Century Music Hall, Duesenberg Exhibit, 3 Batmobiles, A Military Museum, The Titanic Exhibit, Fast and Furious Collection, Ford vs. Ferrari Exhibit, Cars of the Hollywood Stars, 50’s Finned Fiberglass Boats, Evolution of the Motorcycle, Disney Gallery & Parade Cars, Retro Animatronic Entertainment, Gangster Crime & Medieval Punishment Museum, tractors, and Novelty/Special Interest Custom Cars. We also have large collections of Vintage and Very Rare Bicycles, Scooters, Coin-Operated Kiddie Rides, Children’s Pedal Cars, Snowmobiles, Jukeboxes, Arcades, Novelty Coin-Operated Games, Tractors, Aviation, Campers & Travel Lodging, Showtime Pizzeria, gift shops and ice cream parlor & more! Also book your next party, event or gathering for up to 100 people and our brand new Party Barn! Email partybooking@volofun.com for more info.
volofun.com
facebook.com/volomuseum
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twitter.com/volomuseum
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If you think the next movie car has something to do with dinosaurs you’re a clever girl. This is a replica of the 1992 Ford Explorer XLT used in the movie Jurassic Park. In the original Jurassic Park book by Michael Crichton, the cars were a set of electric Toyota Land Cruisers, but Director, Steven Spielberg, already had a deal with Ford to supply the cars for the film. Ford gave Spielberg seven Ford Explorers. They also used half-sized models for filming and a stripped-down model for the interior shots.
The full-sized cars were turned over to a company called Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) and, you guessed it, legendary car customizer, George Barris to heavily mod these cars. A large chunk of the roof was replaced by a special full-length sunroof. This was perfect for the scene where the T-Rex crashes through the top and tries to eat the kids.
Self-driving cars is common-place now, but in 1993 this idea was revolutionary. They didn’t have the technology, so to give the illusion that the Explorers were self-driving, the vehicles were modified with redundant controls in the trunk’s cargo area. So basically, a stunt driver was hidden in the trunk and controlled the car.
And speaking of rear-view mirrors, Steven Spielberg was in his car blasting Earth Wind & Fire when he noticed his rearview mirror shaking to the beat. This gave him the idea to have the Jeep’s mirror shake from the footsteps of the approaching T Rex. The effect was created by attaching a small vibrating motor behind the mirror.
The famous water ripples in the cup scene were surprisingly an extremely hard effect to produce. The ripples were made from a guitar string that was attached to the cups and then fed through and underneath the car. A crewman then pulled it tight and plucked the string to vibrate the water and get the iconic shot.
Another fun fact about this T-Rex scene, is that it originally wasn't going to be in the rain when it was first mapped out in preproduction. Later, Spielberg insisted that rain be added to the scene to make the T-Rex look more realistic and dramatic. The problem was that animatronics were already built, and the machinery wasn't designed to hold the extra weight from the rainwater. When it got too wet, it started to shake, so they frequently had to stop filming to swat its skin with towels to dry it off enough to continue filming.
Thank you for watching. Thank you for sharing. Thank you for following Volo Museum and instead of a joke, today, I leave you with Owl Kittie’s Jurassic Park But With a Cat.
Volo Museum is a World Famous, family-owned, all-day tourist destination in Volo, IL. We are know across the world for our all-indoor showroom rotating hundreds of classic and modern collector cars. Experience over 45 exhibits and over 10,000 mechanical marvels! Our attractions include over 50 iconic TV and Movie cars, a 15k sq ft Jurassic Gardens dinosaur park. Hollywood Train Tours & Museum, a mini golf course, one of the largest Antique Malls in the country and more! Our exhibits include a Coney Island Carousel Room, Early-Century Music Hall, Duesenberg Exhibit, 3 Batmobiles, A Military Museum, The Titanic Exhibit, Fast and Furious Collection, Ford vs. Ferrari Exhibit, Cars of the Hollywood Stars, 50’s Finned Fiberglass Boats, Evolution of the Motorcycle, Disney Gallery & Parade Cars, Retro Animatronic Entertainment, Gangster Crime & Medieval Punishment Museum, tractors, and Novelty/Special Interest Custom Cars. We also have large collections of Vintage and Very Rare Bicycles, Scooters, Coin-Operated Kiddie Rides, Children’s Pedal Cars, Snowmobiles, Jukeboxes, Arcades, Novelty Coin-Operated Games, Tractors, Aviation, Campers & Travel Lodging, Showtime Pizzeria, gift shops and ice cream parlor & more! Also book your next party, event or gathering for up to 100 people and our brand new Party Barn! Email partybooking@volofun.com for more info.
volofun.com
facebook.com/volomuseum
instagram.com/volomuseum
twitter.com/volomuseum
Tik Tok @volomuseum
Snapchat @volomuseum
