Designer: Tom Karen, Ogle Design
Builder: Ogle Design
Based on: c.1970 Bond Bug 700 ES
The X-34 Landspeeder was built by the SoroSuub Corporation and uses a powerful repulsorlift engine to hover over rough terrain. In the opening scenes of A New Hope, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) uses the X-34 to traverse the arid planet of Tatooine. However, after the death of his aunt and uncle, Luke and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Sir Alec Guinness) travel to Mos Eisley spaceport, where they plan to sell the X-34 in order to pay for transport to Alderaan aboard the Millennium Falcon, which is captained by Han Solo (Harrison Ford).
Despite its brief appearance in the first Star Wars film, the X-34 is a vital plot device. In addition to its supporting the narrative introduction of the film’s main characters, it is used to create a compelling depiction of traveling through the desert. Originally developed from a Bond Bug, a British three-wheel car from the 1970s, a number of “tricks” were employed to achieve a hovering illusion, including a large side-mounted jib and angled mirrors affixed to the undercarriage to hide the wheels.
The repulsorlift engine allowed the Landspeeder to hover about a meter off of the ground while three thrusters provided lateral motion. Luke’s speeder showed its heavy use in the harsh environment of Tatooine. It was battered and missing the cowling on the port turbine. This probably contributed to Luke only receiving 2,000 credits for selling it, despite his insistence that the low price was due to the newer X-38s coming out.