For Sean Denny, reclaiming his father’s beloved 1953 International R190 was more than a nostalgic endeavour; it was a passionate journey that spanned over two decades.
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The truck was used for general scrap and originally belonged to his father 25 years ago, but times got tough, and he was forced to sell his beloved rig.
So began the long, persistent search for the charming International — until Sean finally tracked it down ten years later.
“I drove out to the seller, had a look at it and said, ‘Right, how much?’
“He said a certain price, so I told him I’d be back that Friday to purchase it.
“I rang him Friday, and found out he sold it to somebody else!
“But I kind of knew the bloke that bought it, so I started hassling him for few years.”
Ten years after that, Sean found himself near the owner’s house.
So he decided to go back to the same guy and give buying the truck another shot, explaining that it was originally his father’s and had sentimental value.
He was met with the news that the owner wasn’t interested in selling it.
He tried one more time, coming back with a stack of cash, but was again shown the door.
But being told no wasn’t going to stop him from reclaiming what was rightfully his.
“I got sick and tired of going over there,” he says.
“The fourth time I went, I said to him, ‘Look, this is the last time I’m coming. I’m going home with a new car for my girlfriend, I’m taking this International, and I ain’t coming back.’
“I got it there and then.”
Sean admits he paid a lot of money for the truck, but he wasn’t going to miss out on a golden opportunity to get it back.
The rig had originally come from Lilydale in the 50s, working as a bitumen tanker before it carted tar around the Yarra Valley.
A different owner then converted the truck from petrol to diesel and modified it to become more usable.
The rig then hauled timber, and then earthmoving gear, before getting sold to another gentleman in Lilydale.
Sean’s father spotted the rig on the road one day and wanted to buy it.
At that time, the owner didn’t know how to drive it and wasn’t sure what he was going to use it for, so it was a deal.
After Sean’s father, the International has lived all around Victoria and parts of NSW, from Bendigo and Echuca to Deniliquin (where Sean first discovered it), then to Cobram and lastly back to Sean in Healesville.
“I know about six blokes that have got their licenses in this truck in the 80s, it’s got a lot of history,” he says.
Sean’s memories of the rig stretch back to when he was only eight years old, watching it weave through the streets of Healesville where he grew up and then riding around in it once he was old enough.
Despite never having been restored, Sean has lovingly maintained the truck, ensuring it remains “period correct” — adding modern touches but keeping its historical essence intact.
“It was red and white when I got it,” he says. “I’ve tidied it up a lot, but I don’t like modifying too much.
“You can try to dress them up a little, but keep it period correct, that’s the goal.
“I put tube tyres back on it, did the mudguards and taillights and made it virtually driveable.”
Sean followed in the footsteps of his father, becoming a truckie himself and now owning several other trucks which he enjoys restoring and displaying.
“I own six trucks for display,” he says. “I like Louisvilles and R model Macks.
“I restore them, drive them around for a bit, get sick of them, get another truck and then restore that one.”
His International is also used as a display truck, which he takes around on the back of a Ford trailer that he bought specifically for that purpose.
Despite having his own unique fleet, Sean’s father’s truck holds a special place in his heart as he says it holds some of his dad’s history. His dad is still going strong, living in a home with Sean’s mother.
Sean views the truck as connecting him to his father and his boyhood. As he takes the truck through the familiar roads of his childhood, he is keeping memories and shared experiences alive.
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