over the hill Vehicles Guide: Confirmed Cars, How Unlocking Works and the Fleet Owner Grind

Funselektor's roster is a museum you can drive. The official line is that these are classic 4x4s rendered as playful interpretations — the shapes are unmistakable to anyone who knows the era (the flat panels, the upright glass, the roof racks), but no manufacturer licenses were involved, so no real nameplates appear. For players this has a practical consequence beyond charm: do not search for real-world spec sheets. A homage's capability in this game comes from its in-game upgrades and your driving, not from what the 1978 original could do in real mud.

Pre-launch reporting put the launch count at around twenty vehicles, with more to be added over time. That figure and the full name list in circulation come from a single pre-launch roundup, so this guide treats the count as approximate and the list as a work in progress — each vehicle will be added here as its in-game name and unlock are confirmed from the game itself or multiple independent sources.

The vehicle every player starts with is confirmed by two independent launch reviews (Polygon and CarThrottle describe the same truck): a boxy, Defender-style 4x4 — short, upright, roof loaded for the trail, very much the 90-series silhouette in spirit. It is easy to underestimate because it arrives free and unceremonious, but calibrate your expectations by the beginner guide's finding: everything in Emerald Lake is beatable with the starter and the standard kit. Its job in the roster's design is to be the baseline every later vehicle is a variation on — different shape, different character, same honest capability once upgraded.

Practical advice follows: do not rush to replace it. Spend your first Pebbles on the upgrade lines (see this collection's upgrades guide) that transfer value across your whole campaign, learn the driving model on the truck that costs you nothing, and let the roster grow at the pace objectives set.

The unlock engine is the game's core loop, stated plainly by the developer: explore, discover places, complete objectives — and the rewards include new vehicles. In practice the chain feels like this:

There is no vehicle shop window with a grid of greyed silhouettes and prices; the fleet assembles itself as a by-product of travelling well. This is also why the completion data looks the way it does — vehicles are gated behind the whole game's worth of objectives, not behind a currency grind you can shortcut.

Until a verified full list exists, choose vehicles the way the game presents them: by shape and job. The roster spans the era's archetypes — short-wheelbase boxes, long wagons, expedition trucks — and the honest selection method is situational: tighter, lighter-feeling trucks for technical rock work; bigger wagons when the day is about hauling (a meteorite tow is a real job in this game, covered in the meteorites guide) and convoy comfort. Performance differences are then tuned by upgrades — engines, tyres, water protection — which is where your Pebbles do the measurable work regardless of hull.

The achievement data tells the roster's story in one number: Fleet Owner sat at 1.3% in launch week — almost nobody owned the set. Read that as the design intent: the full fleet is the game's long tail, assembled across both regions and every objective type, and it pairs with the other low-single-digit completion achievements (area passports, the compendium) as over the hill's endgame horizon. Completionists should pace accordingly: unlocks follow travel, travel follows the cabin network, and the network follows patience.

How many vehicles are in over the hill? Pre-launch reporting said around twenty at launch, with more planned. That count and the circulating name list come from a single source, so consider both provisional — this guide will publish the roster as it is verified vehicle by vehicle.

Are the vehicles real models? No — they are unlicensed homages to 1960s–80s classics. The Defender-style starter is the clearest example: instantly recognisable silhouette, no badge, and in-game behaviour defined by the game rather than the original's spec sheet.

How do I unlock more vehicles? By completing objectives as you explore — discoveries, challenge trails, vehicle recoveries and area progress all feed the same chain. There is no separate vehicle shop to grind currency for.

Does the Supporter Edition include an exclusive vehicle? It includes exclusive vehicle cosmetics (alongside the soundtrack and an exclusive campsite) — appearance, not an extra truck. The fleet itself is earned the same way by every edition.

Is the starter vehicle good enough for the whole game? For the first region, certainly — Emerald Lake is calibrated for it. Across the whole game, upgrades matter more than hull-swapping early; the roster's later shapes are variations to enjoy and specialise with, not a ladder you must climb to stay viable.