Name: Jack Mechielsen

Current Ford owned: Escort RS 2000

Other cars presently owned: Ford Fiesta XR4

Previous Fords owned: (or other cars of interest) Anglia 105E; Cortina Mk I; Zephyr Mk III; Falcons  XK; XL; XP; XT; XA; XB; Falcons every XR6 from the first to the BA Mk II turbo; Focus XR5 Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Alfa Romeo 75; Mazda R100; Studebaker Champion;

Family Details: Married two adult children; one living in Darwin; two grand-children (to our delight also in Darwin)

How did you get into Fords: My father drove a 1948 Jailbar Ford truck which I first drove as a nine year old in 1949.  I think this means I have virtually been into Fords all my life.  My first new car was a 105E Anglia in 1960.  This excelled itself on several Nullarbor crossings when the crossing was largely abominable dirt road.

What do like most about owning your Ford: The RS2000 while a little slow by 2007 standards is enormous fun. 

If you could change anything on it, what would it be: I am still refurbishing it and hope to have it fully operational by early next year perhaps with a bit more pace.

How did you find your current car: It was owned by someone in Palmerston.  We responded to an ad in the NT News.

Most memorable Ford moment: There have been so many.  One that comes immediately to mind is testing an XB rally car (a 302C panel van of all things!) prepared for the inaugural Wynn's Safari and reaching a top speed (actual) of 247 km/hour.  The event itself was great for the first two days until we broke rear wheel bearings.  They probably failed because the transport company which took the car from Darwin to Sydney anchored the car on their truck by securing the rear axle.

Best road for driving the Ford: The Litchfield Park road this is actually a real fun road in both the XR6 turbo and XR5 turbo with much more power on tap.

Motor sport interests: Have competed in many rallies in the seventies and eighties, mostly in a Mazda R100 (I would love to have been able to afford a BDA Escort)

Your ideal Ford would be: It would be hard to go past a GT40

If you had to own a car other than a Ford, it would be: current Maserati Quattroporte

Should Ford bring back the GTHO: Yes but only if it were made once again to be the fastest four door sedan in the world as the original was!

Favourite Club event: We have regrettably been unable to attend any due to interstate commitments on each occasion during the past year.

A car you would never own: I have and will never own a Holden of any kind

Favourite Bathurst moment: Falcon 1-2 finish with Moffat and Bond in XC Coupes;  the wins by Craig Lowndes in 2006 and 2007 after a very lean spell for Ford were also memorable

Fastest speeding fine: 135 km/hour in a perfectly safe 110 zone in NSW with nothing else in sight

Other interests: Reading

Football team: West Coast Eagles

Four people you would share a meal with: Ari Vatanan; Roger Clarke; Ross Dunkerton; Manuel Fangio

Other sports interests: Cricket Most admired person: Nelson Mandela

Best holiday spot: Cottesloe beach, WA

Favourite restaurant: Doyle's on the Quay, Sydney

Ideal weekend: An ideal would be to overnight in Goulbourn and a track day at nearby Wakefield Park with a run through the Southern Highlands to follow up with an overnight at Bowral.