The ‘90s screwball comedy
full of slapstick humor and songs you can’t get out of your head was also made famous by its unforgettable Mutts Cutts van. The impractical Dumb and Dumber car covered in tan carpet is as cool as it is ridiculous. Jerry
, the car ownership super app
, explains why this iconic movie car deserves a round of a-paws. The ‘Dumb and Dumber’ car: A character of its own
In 1994, Jim Carrey was at the top of his game. The comedic actor, known for his starring role in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, joined forces with Jeff Daniels in the cult-favorite Dumb and Dumber.
Due to his star power, Carrey was paid $7 million to do the film, while Daniels received a stingy $50,000 paycheck. Apparently, the studio didn’t think Daniels was a good fit. And apparently, they were wrong.
Daniels co-starred in the Farrelly Brothers movie as Harry Dunne, a dog groomer who drives the Mutt Cutts “Shaggin’ Wagon” for work. When Harry gets fired and Lloyd Christmas (Carrey) finds a briefcase left by a woman at an airplane terminal, the two set off on a cross-country adventure to return it to her in Aspen, Colorado. Little do they know, it’s full of ransom money.
Though it may be hard to tell with all that fur, underneath the Dumb and Dumber car is a Ford Econoline. The 1984 model featured a standard V6 engine, with an optional V8 or diesel as well.
“For Dumb and Dumber, the 1984 Econoline was transformed into a giant dog on wheels with a tan carpet covering it inside and out, giving it a very furry look,” HotCars
tells us. The Ford also received floppy ears, a nose, whiskers, a tongue, and a tail. If you wanted to access the gas cap on the Dumb and Dumber car, you had to lift one of its “legs” on the rear side panels. However, it wasn’t the most practical of vehicles. If the Mutts Cuts van got caught in the rain, it would surely smell like wet dog.
Get your paws on a ‘Dumb and Dumber’ car replica
One replica was built using a 2003 Ford Econoline with a four-speed automatic transmission and a V8 engine. “Staying true to the original, this Mutts Cutts replica even came with props, including a briefcase, Petey the Bird fur seats, and most importantly of all, a mini bike,” HotCars reports.
Fur seats decorated the interior, and the cabin featured air-conditioning and a flatscreen that can play Dumb and Dumber on repeat until you have it memorized. The replica was even sold at the Barrett-Jackson auction.
In 2016, an “exquisite replica” originally imported from the U.S. was for sale for €7,500 in Ireland. Its owner originally used it for promotional purposes, but has since kept it under a tarp in a garage for the better part of a year.
According to The Independent
, “Located in north Dublin near the airport, the shaggy four-wheeler is a 1986 Ford Econoline with around 83,000 miles on the clock.” Covered in high-grade carpet, the Econoline ran on its original 5.6-liter petrol engine and received over 20,000 hits in 24 hours of posting it for sale. Other replicas have been rumored to be running around participating in races and rallies to promote various businesses.
Where’s the Mutts Cutts van now?
When the first movie was being made, a Chevy van was also commissioned for the film, but it never made its way to the screen.
In the 2014 Dumb and Dumber To sequel, the stars reunite with the Mutts Cutts van again.
According to HotCars, “A Reddit stream discovered the Mutt Cutts van lying at the Celebrity Car Museum in Branson, Missouri, and claimed that the owner was friends with the Farrelly Brothers, thus acquiring the van for the museum.” It looks like the Mutt Cutts van may have found its fur-ever home.
4.7
