Vehicle: 1956 International known as Jessie
Name: Bruce Marshall
From: Winton
When and why did you acquire it? About 30 years ago from my neighbour, Jessie Calder, across the road
What is the vehicle’s history? Sandy Calder at Winton was the first owner, who brought it brand new from Balfour Motors. Sandy and his sister Jessie Calder lived across the road from us in Winton. The Jessie Calder rose gardens, formerly the Old Municipal Nursery, in Queens Park, Invercargill, which covers about 2.5ha, are named after her. When Sandy died, Jessie took it over. Then I bought it. Originally I bought it for towing the boat, taking it in and out of the lake. When I joined the Southland Vintage Car Club I retired it and replaced it with another vehicle to tow the boat. Before it was sign-written it was used during the movie The World’s Fastest Indian, taking the [Burt Munro, played by Anthony Hopkins] motorcycle in and out to Oreti Beach. The film people had asked for some old vehicles via the Southland Vintage Car Club. I took old Jessie down before she had the signage… it just had Jessie written on it then. She also appears in the shot (scene) when Burt sets fire to his grass and in two to three shots at the beach. Jessie was also my grandmother’s name
Have you altered it in any way? The only thing I did was take the column shift out and put a four-speed floor shift in it for towing purposes. It was a cream colour before I painted it 
a dark (Brunswick) green, the same colour of my dad’s main truck. I also had sign-written the name of my father’s company, Winton Carrying Co Ltd, with his original phone number, which he had in the 1960s and 70s.
What’s it like to drive? Good, beautiful. It’s like a car to drive, but it is still a work truck. When I hit a bump the seats are that springy we all hit the roof. It goes on the Pre-60 rallies
Where’s your favourite stretch of road? Anywhere in this old girl
Top speed? It winds off the clock… it goes up to 80mph on the clock, but I only drive it about 50mph… I have to look after the old thing. It has 71,000 miles on the original speedo and the only thing the motor has had is a valve grind. She’s an amazing old truck really. She can sit in the shed for months, then when I start her up – away she goes
Best driving experience? To the 2012 Vero Rally
Worst driving experience? No real bad ones
What other vehicles of note have you owned? A Prefect under restoration
Best music to drive to? Anything easy
Describe your driving style: Cautious
If you could go for a drive in any vehicle it would be …? Anything with four wheels
What was the first vehicle you ever bought? 1953 Vauxhall Velox
Do you belong to any clubs? Morris Owners Club, Christchurch; All British Vehicle Club, Invercargill, and the Southland branch of the Vintage Car Club
