Make mine a candy red Focus

MATILDA RICE, WINNER OF THE FIRST BACHELOR SERIES, WORKS IN MEDIA SALES AND IS A FORD AMBASSADOR

Tell us about your car. It’s a 2016 Ford Focus Titanium automatic in candy red. I love everything about it but mainly its stylish shape and the comfortable leather seats. Hatchbacks are my favourite car and it’s great for zipping around the city and the odd road trip. How does it fit your personality? I work in a corporate world so it fits my 9- 5 seamlessly. But I am also very outdoorsy and love exploring New Zealand on the weekends, and the Focus fits both worlds. Who else is allowed to drive your Ford? No one, unless necessary. I’m protective like that. I’m a bit of a back seat driver, especially if it’s my own car. How often do you clean it? This is bad, but I haven’t cleaned the outside yet. Living in Auckland, I feel like it rains enough to keep it looking reasonably shiny, but I should get on to that. What do you always have in your car? Chewing gum, sunglasses and baby wipes. Pretty self- explanatory, but you never know when you will spill your coffee. What do you listen to when driving? I like chilled- out folk music when I drive – Jack Johnson, Matt Corby, Ben Howard, which I listen to through Bluetooth on my phone. I never get sick of just saying: “Play ( artist name)” and the SYNC3 playing it. First car? Funnily enough, it was a Ford Focus. Not as new as my current one. It was a late 90s dark green hatchback. I went halves with my parents and it sat in our drive until I had my licence. I used to sit in it and pretend I was driving. A bit sad, really. Your dream car? Definitely a Black Ford Everest. I love big, bad- ass cars. However I feel like an Everest is a lot of car for me at the moment. Who taught you to drive? My dad first taught me in his Toyota Hilux. He was a very patient teacher until I went through the Greenlane roundabout at full speed without checking for cars. That was the closest he has come to a heart attack I think, and he passed me on to the AA professionals after that. Any tips for young drivers? Go slow and constantly check for cyclists. Do you prefer manual or automatic? Manual because I feel like I’m really driving, and can get more power, but automatic in the city because then I can drink my coffee. Most memorable road trip? Probably driving back from Wellington with Art [ Green] last year. Plans changed so we had to do it in a day, and it was a fun trip. Weplayed loud music, stopped to take pictures of Ruapehu and Tongariro and ate lots of icecream. Great day trip out of Auckland? I love heading to the Waitakere Ranges or around Te Henga/ Bethells Beach. There are incredible bush walks and runs, and good lunch spots around Titirangi. If you could go anywhere, in any car, with any bachelor? Well if I had the choice of any bachelor, I would still choose former Bachelor Art Green. I’d do a road trip across North America in a Ford Mustang convertible and drive Route 66. Favourite movie car scene? The end scene from Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are driving alongside each other along the highway then Paul Walker veers off into the distance. Obviously, as Walker passed away before they finished shooting, it’s a really moving scene. What irritates you most about other drivers? Art will confirm this one – I can’t stand drivers who change lanes or turn without indicating. That and tailgating are my ultimate bugbears. Your take on Auckland traffic? I manage to avoid it. I drive along Tamaki Drive to work every day, which can be slow, but it’s so beautiful that I can deal with it. I’m not a town planner, but how about more lanes on the motorway? And ditch the onramp traffic lights, they are annoying. Out of curiosity, what does Art drive? A 2015 Kia Sportage.