LLooeell TThhoomssoonn’’ss

Bryan

Thomson is best remembered for the yellow Camaro he raced in the Australian Touring Car Championship in the late 1960s. Less well known is that before this period he competed in a Ford Mustang in Britain.

In early 1967 he shipped over his ex-Norm Beechey Mustang for two seasons of intense racing on the tight English circuits. He was the first local driver to compete overseas in a car built for the Australian sedan series.

When he returned to Australia in 1968 he imported a six-cylinder 1964/1965 Mustang from the United States, which he converted it to righthand drive, and gave to his wife Loel. And she still has it today.

“In its day it was the cheapest Mustang at $2300 that you could buy and it has only a three-speed manual gearbox and drum brakes. But, it is a Mustang and 50 years on it’s now probably a collector’s item!” says Bryan.

After many years in storage, the Loel Thomson Mustang was resurrected for the 26th Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motorsport (PIC) over March 5-8.