Graham will take his 1938 Bedford WLG along to this year's Historic Commercial Vehicle Association of Queensland Show this weekend, showing off the temporary makeover for its role as a military vehicle in Cambridge, England, just before World War II in the production of the Chronicles of Narnia: The Dawn Treader.

But it's not Graham's first foray into the world of film, with various other vehicles from his private fleet of more than 20 featuring in around 10 other productions, including The Great Raid, Swimming Upstream, Fat Cow Motel and Getting Square, all filmed in Australia.

"I know the fellow in charge of props and vehicles for Narnia because I've worked with him before, so he gave me a call to see if I'd have something to suit this set," Graham said.

"I had half a dozen vehicles from the 1930s that might have worked, and the art director went through them, saying 'too shiny', 'wrong colour', until they settled on the Bedford.

"The only problem was it was red and brown, and they needed military."

That proved no problem for Graham, whose extensive experience in collecting, restoring and maintaining historic vehicles meant he could put his hands on a temporary paint coat which forms a clear membrane and can then be painted, and peeled or washed off later.

"I took it down to the set they'd erected at Movie World on the Gold Coast, but the set was so big it was in the carpark." he said.

"They aged the truck with coffee, then put advertisements, numbers and registration stickers on it from the time period and I hung around for the day in case they needed me to drive it anywhere - I was there for hours but the scene they were shooting took 12 takes to get only 25 seconds.

"The set was impressive: there were extras in period costume on bikes and with prams, and a blue screen three storeys high to project a big sandstone building onto later."

Graham said he had been collecting ever since his kids grew up and moved out and he found he needed a hobby - until his wife put a ban on any more purchases.

"I went along to a show after that and fell in love with a Japanese fire truck, so when I bought it I had to give it to her for Christmas!" Graham said.

Both trucks will be on show at the Historic Commercial Vehicle Association show, on August 22 and 23, from 8am to 5pm Saturday and 6am-3pm Sunday.