Monster trucks typically crush cars as part of a live show. The stunt is known as a car crush and became one of the defining spectacles of monster-truck entertainment.
The tradition grew from the early 1980s, when Bob Chandler drove his truck Bigfoot over junked cars as a demonstration. A promoter saw footage of the stunt and booked Chandler to repeat it before a crowd. Bigfoot’s public car crushes helped turn heavily modified trucks into a recognizable entertainment sport.
Cars are chosen because they are relatively light, plentiful, and visibly collapse beneath a truck weighing several tons. Drivers usually approach over prepared rows of vehicles during a freestyle or exhibition segment. Older shows also used motor homes and school buses, but cars remain the standard answer and the classic image associated with the sport.
Modern events emphasize ramps, jumps, wheelies, and backflips more than large piles of vehicles because flying debris can endanger spectators. Even so, the car crush remains central to monster-truck history and public identity.