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Crump Family Story
Barry Crump helped make Hilux a Kiwi icon. His grandsons still rely on them today
When Northland beekeeper Jim Crump wanted another Hilux, he flew to Blenheim with a mate, a bag of tools and a healthy amount of confidence.
Three days, multiple fuel scares and a heated blanket wired directly to the battery later, the pair arrived home in Hokianga with a battered 1994 Hilux.
It would eventually earn the nickname "Bumpy".
For most people, it would be an unusual way to buy a vehicle.
But Jim happens to be the grandson of Barry Crump.
As Toyota marks 50 years of Hilux in New Zealand, the Crump family remains closely connected to the vehicle that became synonymous with Barry Crump and generations of Kiwi drivers.
"It's a New Zealand icon and my grandfather played a big part in that," says Jim.
More than 30 years after it rolled off the production line, Jim still relies on the dark purple 1994 Hilux flat deck to help run his beekeeping business in Hokianga on the West Coast. Covered in dents and battle scars, Bumpy spends its days transporting beehives across steep farm tracks, rough bush blocks and remote Northland farmland.
"It's our workhorse," says Jim. "It carries heavy loads, goes through rough country and just keeps turning up."
The Hilux is the latest in a long line of Toyotas owned by Jim, who has driven four Hilux over the years.
"I want to get work done. I don't want to spend a fortune on vehicles. For value for money, there's nothing better."
The journey home quickly became an adventure Barry Crump himself may have appreciated.
The journey included a faulty fuel gauge, multiple fuel scares, a cardboard sign asking strangers for diesel and an Argentinian engineer who stopped to help when the pair eventually ran out of fuel.
At one point, the pair wired a heated blanket directly to the battery to stay warm on the journey north.
"It was freezing," laughs Jim. "But we made it work."
By the time they arrived home, the Hilux had earned a name.
Bumpy.
"It just seemed fitting."
More than 30 years after it rolled off the production line, the Hilux remains a vital part of Jim's beekeeping operation.
The ute regularly carries up to 16 beehives at a time and continues to tackle the same rough terrain it was designed for more than three decades ago.
Despite its age, Jim has no plans to retire it anytime soon.
"It'll still be here in 10 years."
Asked to describe Bumpy in three words, Jim doesn't hesitate.
"Old. Reliable. Beast."
Jim isn't the only Crump still driving a Toyota.
Brother Boris Crump, who now lives in Taupō, drives a new Hilux for his electrical contracting business. Between them, the brothers have owned more than 10 Toyotas, from Hilux and Hiaces to RAV4s, Caldinas and Celicas.
"We've always been a Toyota family," says Boris.
"They're reliable, they hold their value and they just do what you need them to do."
The wider family remains loyal to the brand too, with Jim driving a hybrid RAV4 alongside his Hilux, while their parents also own Toyota vehicles.
For Boris, it is no surprise multiple generations of the family continue to choose Hilux.
"It's just a classic Kiwi four-wheel drive," he says.
Asked what Barry Crump would think about his grandsons still driving Hilux decades after helping make them famous through Toyota's iconic advertising campaigns, Boris laughs.
"I think he'd be pretty chuffed."
Jim agrees.
Asked what his grandfather would say if he saw Bumpy sitting outside today, Jim doesn't hesitate.
"Bloody beaut, mate."