About us

Established in 2002, Picture Vehicles Ltd has grown into New Zealand's largest providers of automotive transport, preparation and precision driving services to the automobile advertising industry.

Our experienced staff (see profiles below) and dedication to providing the highest quality service available in the industry has proven successful with many of our clients returning to use our services.

Picture Vehicles Ltd has enclosed transporters with capacity for up to fifteen vehicles in a combination of 2-car trucks and F250’s hauling enclosed single car trailers. All transporters are fully fitted out with car prep equipment, jacks, generator, water blaster etc. which are included in transporter hire. Click here for detailed information on our fleet.
The company’s policy is one of constant improvement, and the proprietor and crew are continually striving to provide the industry with the best and most reliable service available.

The Team 

Justin Marshall, Owner/Operator

Picture Vehicles Owner/Operator Justin Marshall welcomed a new challenge in 2008.
Justin comes to us with an extensive background in the transport industry featuring 20 years in transport.
Owning a successful Transport and Logistics business for 10 years in Central Otago.   Fundamentally in national freight- forwarding  and logistics fields, and with vast knowledge of international freight forwarding along with customs imports and exports, and committed to a “nothing is impossible to move” attitiude to the customer.
Logistics is a specialized field and Justin's strength is having hands-on experience in executing the logistical requirements to keep your special project on track and organised, and within projected costs.

He enjoys the challenge of bringing the whole package of requirements together, with the end product being happy directors and crew and a well fashioned production in all aspects.
Justin considers this to be his next big adventure in life and is keen to bring all his life's experience together to enhance Picture Vehicles' already successful business.  

Grant Aitken, Precision Driver

Grant Aitken, former managing director of Picture Vehicles Limited, brings over thirty years of high performance driving experience and a well-known working knowledge of the film business to ensure your shoot goes as planned.
For many years (more than Grant would choose to remember), Grant has competed at all levels of motorsport. He has competed at every Race circuit in New Zealand, at Calder, Oran Park, and Bathurst in Australia, rallied in New Zealand, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Myanmar and Laos.
Grant won 1st overall in the Rally of Asia in 1998 and 1999, and was placed third in the same event both 2000 and 2001.

In 2007, he was awarded the Ron Frost Award for services to Motorsport for his efforts in creating and running the Silverstone Race to the Sky for ten years.

Still active in Motorsport today, Grant won his class in the Silver Fern Rally in 2006, and was placed 5th overall in the N.Z. Production racing series in 2007.

Over the last five years, Grant has focused his energy to providing the specialist driving skills required for the film and television industry.

He thoroughly enjoys providing the director with exactly what is required from the vehicle, taking it to the edge of performance when required, maintaining his reputation for doing all of this without damaging equipment. Grant has driven in over two hundred commercials in the last six years, and has a continued desire to be the best in the business.
Grant’s former company, Picture Vehicles Ltd, is now the foremost car prep, transport, and precision driving company in  New Zealand, and in fact the only New Zealand company that is entirely dedicated to the industry. They provide a “one stop shop” philosophy for the industry.
Grant continues to provide services as a precision driver to the film and Television commercial industry to this day. 

 

Mark Prowse, Precision Driver

Mark Prowse is one of New Zealand’s few specialist precision drivers with a career spanning 19 years in the Film Industry, both locally and internationally.

Based in Auckland, Mark has an international reputation for his knowledge and expertise, as well as his ability to understand the director’s requirements and to interpret this into on-camera action.

He has screen doubled everything from two-year-old babies to male and female characters of various races and ages and even animals, clowns, and the odd gnome!
Mark’s career to date has also involved extensive work on some of New Zealand’s biggest locally-produced feature films including; The Frighteners, Channelling Baby, Once Were Warriors, Without A Paddle, The Locals, Jubilee, and television series’ such as; Xena Warrior Princess, Hercules, Shortland Street, Street Legal 1 & 2, The Topp Twins and many more.
In more recent years, a large amount of Mark’s driving has been TVC work for most major car brands including, BMW, Honda, Hummer, Lexus, Jeep, Toyota, Ford and Holden, amongst many others, with the majority of the work being for off shore productions. He has also acted as either precision driver or stunt co-ordinator many of Land Transport New Zealand’s road safety commercials.
He has worked with most of the leading NZ commercial production companies including Cherokee Films, Exile Films, Film Construction, Flying Fish, Republic Films, Silverscreen, Shoot NZ amongst others, and has also had the pleasure to work for many leading overseas Directors and production companies.
Mark has been a Licensed Driving Instructor, having contracted to both Ford and Holden Advanced Driver Training.
Mark is now working with Grant Aitken and Picture Vehicles Limited. This alliance has grown into a unique one-stop operation for vehicles within the film industry. With the logistical strength of Picture Vehicles NZ Limited and Mark and Grant’s precision driving skills and experience, Picture Vehicles can offer the high level of professionalism and commitment that your project deserves. 

 

Simon Trail   Transport & Vehicle Preparation Manager

Simon joined the Picture Vehicles team seven years ago.

His extensive career across every facet of the automotive transport industry makes him an intrinsic member to the Picture Vehicles team.

Starting his career in automotive painting as a truck painting specialist, his work made the centre-fold of the New Zealand trucking magazine on several occasions, he then moved on to truck body and vehicle building.

All manner of vehicle licenses and vast driving experience across Australasia has seen him work extensively on stills and TV vehicle commercials; he has been involved in excess of 50 vehicle commercials including work with Hummer, Jeep Porsche, Mercedes, Audi, Volvo, Hyundai, Toyota, Mitsubishi and Nissan maintaining the security, safety and optimum appearance of all vehicles and transportation.

He has also arranged sponsorship deals with Meguiars, global leaders in automotive appearance and care products.
Simon leads the team on product knowledge and through his relationship with Meguiars is kept abreast with the latest car care and detailing products 

Simon’s vehicle wrangling has seen him work on such films as the World’s Fastest Indian. He was the head vehicle wrangler for the Japanese production; Wastelands, and also Disneys Bridge to Teribithea.
Amongst others he has recently worked on Warner Bros 3D; Yogi Bear.

An avid motorcyclist and road cyclist, as well as mountain biker, he now prefers to take his time out off-road, and on the lake boating.

Simon is committed to maintaining Picture Vehicles status as New Zealand’s best vehicle transport and prep company in the business.

Mike Alesana, driver and car prep

Mike has worked for Picture Vehicles since 2006.

He has 15 years' experience in the transport industry, having driven semi and truck trailers as well as diggers, rollers and compacters.

Mike has also done general freight & car transport specialising in European as well as Japanese and Korean cars for Carr & Haslem Transport.
Carr & Haslem gave Mike the opportunity to get into the film industry about 8 years ago when he did got his first job transporting cars for film companies around New Zealand.

His passion for the film industry shines through in his work, always putting the needs of the client first.
Mike has worked on projects with Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, Subaru, Suzuki, Ford, Kia, Mitis, Holden, Toyota, Audi, and many more.

Other driving experience includes working in Australia for Bunker Freight Lines driving roadtrains all over Australia.