What motorists see is a 1930 Essex farm truck that should, surely, be crawling up the hills under a load of illegal whisky and with a "bootlegger" at the wheel.
But what they get is a 1930 Essex body on a 1987 four-wheel-drive Toyota Hilux chassis with a three-litre turbo-diesel engine powering up hills with fireman Jim Tall at the wheel.
Mr Tall says this unusual mix holds its own on the open road and it has "power enough to surprise a lot of people".
"I would be a bit like Rolls Royce and describe the performance as adequate."
Mr Tall bought the Toyota chassis, old Essex cab, bonnet and radiator from a man in Westport just over three years ago, attracted by the idea of modern running-gear, with four-wheel-drive capabilities, and a "classic" 1930s look.
"I just love the look of cars from that era."
He believes the body was once part of a "rail style" dragster and was brought to New Zealand by an American.
"It was all pretty rough. There was quite a bit of rust to be dealt with and some bad workmanship to be dealt with as well."
Over seven months, working without plans, Mr Tall added 1928 Buick mudguards, vintage Chevrolet running boards, a piece of roof from a Toyota Corolla and headlights from he knows not what.
The original Essex was built towards the end of the Prohibition era in the United States when bootleggers would drive from country areas into cities with illegal loads of homemade "moonshine" whisky, often pursued at high speed by law enforcement agents.
The original Essex was underpowered, even by the standards of its day and its motor tended to run bearings, but Mr Tall believes his vehicle would now be perfect for the job.
"Coming away from the mountain stills, and with the four-wheel-drive capability, you would give the cops a fair run for their money."
Mr Tall uses the Essex as his work vehicle but did take part in a parade in Palmerston with whisky barrels on the back, his wife, Colleen, at the wheel and Mr Tall hanging off the running board with a double-breasted suit and an imitation Thompson submachine gun.
The vehicle always attracts a "tremendous amount of attention" and even vintage car "purists" are generally supportive of what he has done with a "conglomeration of bits".
"It's been built from rubbish, really. It's not the sort of thing I would do to a complete and restorable vintage car."
Mr Tall had some trouble getting approval to use the vehicle on the road but it easily met the standard for a new 2007 four-wheel-drive.
Salesmen of the '20s and '30s made much of the strength of the all-steel Essex body and Mr Tall said at the 1925 South Seas Exhibition, in Dunedin, an Essex was suspended by its open doors from the ceiling of one pavilion.
He has had many approaches to sell the vehicle but has not put a price on it.
"They say everyone has their price, but mine's ridiculous."
