The Hollywood Ram That Refused to Retire
In a world where most movie cars fade into museum shadows or get stripped for parts, one Ram 3500 Heavy Duty defied the odds—and the storm. This battle-worn beast, featured in the 2024 tornado-chasing action film Twisters, now prowls the streets of Branson, Missouri, exactly as it appeared on screen: dented, scarred, and unapologetically intimidating.
Of the six Rams built for the production, only one survived intact—and it lives at the Celebrity Car Museum, owned and operated by Scott Velvet and his family. But don’t expect to find this truck under glass. Scott still drives it. “I mostly take it out when a storm is coming,” he jokes. And with its reinforced steel cage, spiral augers, and mesh-covered roof, it still looks like it’s chasing the next F5 tornado.
A Star of the Screen, Now a Legend on the Street
This isn’t a replica. This is the hero truck—the very one audiences saw up-close in dramatic shots alongside Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones. Whether you remember it barreling through a mud-soaked road with debris swirling or anchoring itself to the ground in the eye of the storm, you’re remembering this exact truck.
Originally found half-stripped in California, Scott brought it back to life using screen references and original movie hardware. Today, it still wears the same battle armor from the set:
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Faux rust and dents
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Exoskeleton roll cage
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Functional spiral augers bolted to each side
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Heavy-duty bash bars
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Weathered decals and storm gear
Those augers weren’t just visual props either—in the film’s lore, they could drill two feet into the ground to hold the truck down against hurricane-force winds. Try explaining that at your local car meet.
Inside the Monster: A Cabin Built for Chaos
The interior is a perfect snapshot of cinematic realism—messy, raw, and completely functional for a storm-chasing operation. A wooden center console houses switches and mounts used for the on-screen laptop. Five-point racing harnesses secure each seat. Chains dangle from the seatbacks. It’s far from the plush Laramie Longhorn the truck once was.
“We tried to keep it as dirty as possible,” says Scott. And it shows. It’s a rolling science lab frozen in time, like the storm just passed five minutes ago.
More Than a Museum—A Living, Breathing Fleet
Scott Velvet’s Celebrity Car Museum isn’t your average Hollywood collection. His cars don’t sit idle—they hit the road. The “Twisters” Ram isn’t even the only storm chaser in his garage. Also featured is the Dodge Durango R/T “Scare Crow”, another V8-powered prop from the same film. That one? It’s Scott’s daily driver.
His rule with every new car acquisition? “First thing I do is donuts in it.” That tells you everything you need to know about how this museum treats its movie heroes: not as fragile collectibles, but as functional machines built to move, roar, and excite.
From Silver Screen to Stormy Streets
Today, when the Twisters Ram prowls through Branson, it draws attention the way only a Hollywood battle truck can. Some fans recognize it instantly. Others are just awestruck by its Mad Max-like gear, wondering if a tornado warning was just issued.
Either way, the truck still lives up to its reputation—no longer saving scientists from flying debris, but still stirring up chaos in the heartland.
And slapped across the peeling bumper is the most fitting farewell from a storm-chaser turned street legend:
“I’LL SEE YOU IN HAIL.”
Source: AutoEvolution
Editors note: This article was originally posted August 24th 2025 and updated on August 26th 2025 with new information.
-Jared Balfour
