Logistics and transport specialist insurer NTI has restored a 1954 Chevrolet pickup truck to raffle for motor neurone disease (MND) research.
The truck, named Daphne, was in a farm in the US and then brought to Australia. It is a “hot lava orange” pickup truck built with a 1954 Chevrolet Cab Over Engine body on a 1969 Chevrolet C-20 Pickup chassis. While the truck might be mid-century, it has modern features, including a 460hp LT1 Chevrolet Performance engine.
“Daphne was found on a farm in the USA and purchased by a young Australian working there. Its original owner was supportive of the re-sell once she'd heard about how it would be restored and raffled for the MND cause,” said NTI CEO Tony Clark.
“Our commitment to raising funds for MND research comes after NTI's former CEO Wayne Patterson lost his battle with the disease in 2018. We established the official NTI MND Research Grant to help fund research into treatment and to ultimately find a cure.”
NTI was able to restore Daphne with the help of generous donations.
Chris Payne, general manager marketing for GM Australia and New Zealand, said they were excited to team up with NTI and Matt Stone Racing for a fantastic cause.
“For many years, Chevrolet Performance LS crate engines have been the logical choice for builders of special project vehicles like this one. This project truck is a terrific example of how the latest generation LT engines can now be used to provide big horsepower and incredible reliability and really make it a special prize to help bring attention to MND research,” he said.
Matt Stone of Matt Stone Racing said: “Our biggest contributing factor has been the time and the effort that's gone into getting the work done and getting the truck built, juggling that with our busy racing schedule.
“It's a great project to be involved in, with a lot of work in a short amount of time, but thankfully, we come from a motorsport background, so that's something we're used to. Partnering with the NTI crew who are very passionate about both the cause and the project meant that it was something exciting to be involved in.”
Daphne is the sixth vehicle to be raffled by NTI for MND and Me Foundation, which supports people and their families living with MND by delivering support programs and funding research into treatments and a cure.
NTI has raised over $1.5 million over five years for MND research. Last year, the insurer provided Doctor John Lee of The University of Queensland's School of Biomedical Sciences with a research grant from its fundraising program.
For the latest fundraising, Daphne will be displayed at the following venues:
The raffle will be drawn at the NTI Supercars Round in Townsville in July 2023.
