Tom Cruise motorhome mystery: Bus rumoured to have taken star on NZ tour up for sale in Hawke’s Bay

Whenever Neville Tasovac invited people on to his 1984 Mitsubishi Fuso motorhome, he’d tell them a cool story.

His Fuso, his pride and joy, was once the vehicle global action icon and Olympic closing ceremony star Tom Cruise travelled around New Zealand in.

If what he’d been told is true, it’s the stuff of Kiwi legend.

His daughter Heather Tasovac is now putting her late dad’s bus on the market in Hawke’s Bay, and she hopes a bit of publicity might do more than just help her sell it.

Perhaps it might even help her confirm the legend once and for all.

So let’s start with Neville’s tale, which begins in 2017 with a trip to a Hamilton home to buy the bus.

There, the seller told Neville it had been used by Tom Cruise, who had hired a bus driver to ferry him around while filming in New Zealand in 2003.

Cruise then allegedly enjoyed the bus so much, he travelled around NZ in it for a bit before returning to the US.

Back in 2003, Cruise was in Taranaki for the filming of The Last Samurai, which, like much of what Cruise touches, would go on to become a huge global hit.

So, did this now-40-year-old house bus really host a Hollywood A-lister while he filmed one of his most noted New Zealand-shot films?

The idea of a distinctive Mitsubishi Fuso house bus – with its highly visible custom numberplate “MOTU” – carting Cruise around is certainly a selling point.

But finding more information about the history of the bus has proved challenging.

Cruise is certainly no stranger to filming and travelling in New Zealand. His most recent visit saw him spending six weeks filming Mission: Impossible – Fallout around the South Island in 2017.

Cruise thanked “the amazing people” who’d hosted him and also said he’d had “a great time” filming in the country.

Previous reports have also noted the actor stopping by Auckland’s Scientology Centre, holidaying down south, and visiting director Sir Peter Jackson in Masterton.

He was said to have engaged in numerous adventure sports opportunities while travelling the country.

A 1984 Mitsubishi Fuso bus rumoured to have once been owned by Hollywood heavyweight Tom Cruise has hit the market in Hawke's Bay.

Tasovac said “MOTU” was her dad’s “pride and joy”, and he would often tell everyone about the history of the bus after purchasing it in 2017.

“He was very proud of it. It was his home.”

It had undergone a fair few changes throughout the years, but Tasovac believed a couple of touches had still been retained from the Cruise days.

“The blue fabric was there, and [Dad] put the black vinyl on the couch. He put new lino and carpet in as well and lived in it for about seven years. The drinks cabinet is still there as well.”

Hawke’s Bay Today was able to track down the owner of “MOTU” before Neville Tasovac, Basil Rope of Tairua, who backed up Neville’s story.

Rope said he purchased the vehicle in Auckland. He said the man who sold it to him, whose name he could not recall, told him he’d initially purchased it from Cruise or his team.

Like the Hollywood heavyweight, Rope said he would often tour the country on the bus exploring the vast countryside.

He wasn’t too fazed by the previous owner when he purchased the bus, saying he was more excited by the “premium motor”, but said people would often be surprised when he told them who it was.

Rope said he recalled a time when waves were painted across the side of the bus before he painted it white.

Like Tasovac, he also modified the bus, but the numberplate and most of the original fittings still remained.

“We found one guitar in there, but that soon went,” he said

“A mate took it, and I never saw it again.”

MOTU's current owner Heather Tasovac with a photo of her late father and the bus' previous owner Neville. Photo / Mitchell Hageman

Heather said she would be interested in hearing from anyone who may have seen the bus around, or owned it prior to Rope.

Those looking to purchase MOTU don’t need any extreme stunt skills, but they do need a Class 2 licence to be able to drive the vehicle.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have a Class 2,” Heather said.

“I’d like it to go to someone who [would take] pride in it and could maybe put their touch on it as well.”

Hawke’s Bay Today approached Tom Cruise for comment by sliding into his direct messages while he was jumping off the roof of the Stade de France in Paris on Monday morning.

Sadly, he didn’t respond, so it remains to be seen how many daredevil stunt schemes were dreamed up while he was on the road in the Mitsubishi Fuso.

The listing and more information about the bus can be found on Trade Me.

Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in January 2023. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community. He has a particular love for stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.