DAILY DRIVER AND NEXT MONTH

When you have a ’50s Thunderbird and a ’60s Mustang and your son buys your daily driver Fiesta, what do you replace it with? Well, a modern classic, of course. In 2008, motor sport legend, Nascar team owner, and aviation enthusiast Jack Roush looked to his hangar for inspiration for his latest model. Having a keen interest in fighter aeroplanes, Roush had a World War II Mustang P51A in his collection, not just any P51A but one from the 357th Fighter Group, the most successful group of Mustang pilots in World War II. With their distinctive silver, aluminium, and dark green fuselages and yellow and red chequerboard colourings around their nose cones, they flew 313 combat missions in 1944 and 1945 and destroyed 702 German aeroplanes to help the Allies win the war.

The P51A Mustang car took its styling cues from the plane, with its two-tone silver, dark green bonnet stripe and chequerboard badging outside and in. To top it off, Roush beefed up the engine internals by forging the crank, pistons, and conrods to cope with the 510hp (380kw) and 510 pound-foot (691Nm) of torque generated by his newest and largest supercharger.

All this makes for an exciting daily driver and weekend transport to the Coromandel for Auckland-based Mustang Owners Club car members Steve and Michele Hawkins. They love the performance, styling, rarity, and that Roush music from the tailpipes. A limited run of 151 P51AS was produced in 2008. It is believed only two have found their way to New Zealand; this one is build number 39. With all that power and torque, she really flies!