Toyota fan triumphs in battle for Gladiator

His name may be Chevy, but this ardent Toyota fan pulled out all the stops to make sure he landed himself a one-off vehicle that first caught his eye in 2017.

Chevy and Michele Alexander saw the Toyota Hilux Gladiator, a one-off concept truck, at Mystery Creek Fieldays and after much perseverance now have it sitting at their home after buying it for $81,100 in an online auction.

Toyota New Zealand developed the vehicle to demonstrate the accessories available for Hilux. It is based on a 4WD double cab Hilux SR5 and has about $65,000 worth of modifications and accessories.

The Alexanders were smitten with the Gladiator and revisited it several times during that four-day trip to Fieldays. When they returned home to Taupo, they visited their Toyota dealership to see if they could buy the Gladiator but found the concept was not for sale.

This year, after being shown off by Toyota at Fieldays and used in the Emirates Team New Zealand homecoming parade, the Gladiator went up for sale on TradeMe with a $1 reserve. 

“I had just bought a new Toyota V8 Land Cruiser and then the Gladiator came up for auction,” Chevy says. “I just had to have it. I decided I was going to be the top bidder. I secured the auction with a bid of $81,100 and traded the Landcruiser in for it.”

Chevy has owned a number of Toyotas over the years and Michele recently swapped her Toyota 86 for a 4WD Hilux. Another 1980s Hilux “Green Monster” with 700,000km on the clock is also in the family.

Steve Prangnell, Toyota NZ general manager used vehicles, was pleased the lot had gone to a Toyota enthusiast. 

“With a $1 reserve we knew the Gladiator was going to attract a lot of interest,” Prangnell says. “So, it’s absolutely brilliant that a Toyota fan like Chevy won the auction.”

Picture shows Chevy Alexander, left, Clint Beaumont from Toyota New Zealand, Shaine Pask Taupo Toyota general manager, Michele Alexander and Nick Saunders, Taupo Toyota sales manager