Doug Livermore’s love of the International marque goes back to when his father traded an aging Bean truck on a brand new D30 in 1939.
He was eager to see the family’s new truck, but first it had to go to Smiths in the Melbourne suburb of Camberwell for its wide coach-built cabin and stake side market garden body.
He was duly impressed when it arrived with its shiny, flowing lines and its capability to handle a whopping 175 cases of apples or pears. But what really caught his eye was the fact that the instrument panel was illuminated from within. To a boy on an orchard, that was wonderful stuff !
Doug was only seventeen at the time, and is now a spritely ninety- three, but there’s still a place in his heart for that old 1½ ton truck. In fact, he still owns it, plus several others. The truck was finally retired in 1977 and left in the shed until 2008, when it was transferred to the restoration workshop of Kim and Stephen Corstorphan, who went through the mechanicals before tackling the panels and paint.
That’s when Doug thought, if one is good, two would be better, or even, how good would a whole set be?
Needless to say, the hunt was on and has been ever since. Some arrive as projects, others are already completed, some are just parts donors, and a few have been brought in from America.
*Douglas Hamilton