You Could Buy Ken Block’s Legendary ‘Hoonitruck’

It’s been just over two years since the world tragically lost automotive hero Ken Block in a snowmobiling accident, and his legacy hasn’t dimmed one bit. As if you needed any more proof, one of his iconic Gymkhana vehicles – the 1977 Ford F-150 ‘Hoonitruck’ is heading to one of the most revered car auctions in the US later this month.

That’s Barrett-Jackson’s annual January sale in Scottsdale, Arizona, where the truck is being offered with no reserve between 18 and 26 January. Back in 2018, it was one of the stars of the globe-trotting tenth instalment of Block and Hoonigan’s Gymkhana video series, in which it was absolutely shredded around the small town of Shamrock, Texas – said to be the inspiration for the town of Radiator Springs in the Cars films.

In 2019, it had a second starring role in Climbkhana 2, in which Block hammered it – mostly sideways – up the winding Tianmen Mountain Road in China.

The truck is pretty far removed from the workhorse it was when it was built in the late ’70s. Under the bonnet is a modern 3.5-litre EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 (with the massive turbos poking through bonnet cutouts, just in case you were in any doubt). It sends 914bhp through a six-speed sequential gearbox and a custom all-wheel drive system that allows precisely the kind of tyre-smoking silliness Block was known for.

Block chose a 1977 F-150 for the project as he’d learned to drive in the same year and model of truck, lending it some extra personal significance for the late tyre-shredder.

Barrett-Jackson doesn’t list an estimate for the truck, but when it went up for sale in 2021 at a Michigan dealership, $1.1 million (around £880,000) was being asked. Still wearing its signature number 43 Monster Energy livery, we imagine Block’s lasting legacy means that figure’s not likely to get any lower. We’ll keep you updated when we know how much the Hoonitruck fetches.