2017 TRUCK OF THE YEAR WINNER “A BLOODY RIPPER”

After some spirited discussion around the boardroom table, the IAL judges have chosen Graham Thompson – of Melbourne’s Towz4U, and his brilliantly decaled, eye-catching Isuzu FSD 140-260 Auto LWB – as the 2017 Truck of the Year winner, and the recipient of a $6,000 prepaid cash card! Graham was elated to find out he’d won the Grand Prize, calling it “a bloody ripper”. After taking a couple of minutes to calm down, Graham could still barely contain his excitement. “You’re joking! I can’t believe it,” he said. “It’s going to take a while to sink in.” Graham bought his FSD 18 months ago, and said he “hasn’t had a single problem.” His love affair with Isuzu started with the salespeople at Patterson Cheney taking excellent care of him and continues to this day. “From start to finish the staff at Patterson Cheney have been second to none,” Graham said. “My truck gets looks all over Melbourne and I say it with pride: I bought it from Patterson Cheney and I would not drive anything else.” Graham’s Isuzu features an attention-grabbing paintjob complete with custom decals, slick signwriting and warm LED lighting down either side of his towing tray. The FSD’s tray body is also equipped with underbody storage boxes and hooks for carrying witches’ hats and spare tyres, making his truck the perfect storage solution. “I’ve got a great relationship with the bloke who runs the Patterson Group,” Graham said. “I’ve bought other truck brands off him before, so when I visited him to buy a new truck, he showed me the Isuzu and that was it.” Reliability is a key factor in the towing game. After all, who can tow the tower? Therefore, a brand famous for its reliability was an essential consideration for Graham. “I’d heard that Isuzus were reliable workhorses, and everything I’d heard was true,” Graham said. The FSD’s long wheelbase makes it perfectly suited to towing all sizes of stranded vehicles around Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, while its Anti-lock Braking (ABS) and Anti Skid Regulator (ASR) traction control mean it’s always a smooth, safe trip for the driver and the load. “Towing requires a comfortable vehicle with responsive braking and smooth handling,” Graham said. “The brakes and Hendrickson suspension are both excellent. “I’m not into all the bells and whistles,” he continued. “I just wanted a good paintjob and a reliable truck. “It’s comfortable, the automatic transmission is smooth shifting, and it makes easy work of the jobs at hand. “Isuzus are brilliant. What more could you want?” Despite his exhilaration at winning, Graham has no plans for the prize money yet. “I’m semi-retired, I ran my own business for 30 years and only recently sold it, so believe-it-or-not I’ve still got some of that money left,” Graham said. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do with the money, but I’ll only spend it on something special, that’s for certain. “I’ve still got cash that I received as a birthday present sitting in my drawer at home, because I refuse to go and spend it on beer, it has to be on something significant,” he laughed. “This time, I might go out and treat myself.” Does your Isuzu match the style, flair and practicality of Graham’s FSD? 2018 Truck of the Year entries are now underway, enter at http://www.isuzu.com.au/news-media/truck-of-the-year/