By John Hawkins New Zealand Racer Magazine. Here's a question for you. What do you consider the most famous car in New Zealand motorsport history? You could make arguments for the Ralph Watson's Lycoming Special or perhaps Robbie Francevic's Custaxie, but I'd have to go for the PDL Mustang II.
When the Mustang II appeared in the 1970s it was way ahead of its time, in New Zealand saloon car racing terms.
CAD was a long time away and the design team worked with just a feel for what was right.
The car blitzed the opposition back in the 1970s in a manner that would make Michael Schumacher proud.
Its last appearances as a contemporary race car were made in the summer of 1979.
The opposition wilted and, expertly driven by Leo Leonard, the car set outright saloon records at circuits throughout the country.

In 1996 the PDL Mustang II reappeared in classic racing, competing at the annual PDL Classic - which next season will become the Skope Classic and the Wings and Wheels at Ohakea.
Driven by Peter Stewart, the car still had tons of charisma and the speed necessary to reignite spectator imaginations.
It regularly proved a popular winner at the PDL Classic.
Now, the famous old car is being given a birthday, and is being completely refurbished at the Canterbury Motor Racing School premises, to ensure that it fully complies with the regulations and safety requirements demanded by classic racing today.
Sir Robertson Stewart, of course, founded the PDL Company.
His son Peter did a very good job driving the powerful Mustang on his one off appearances for several seasons.

For next season, however, Peter has handed over the reins to his younger brother Todd.
Todd, you may recall, was stunningly fast in a Formula Holden at last year's PDL Classic.
When I stopped by Todd's office to talk with him about the progress on the Mustang's refurbishment, I was surprised and delighted to be introduced to his father Sir Robertson Stewart - the man ultimately responsible for the creation of and the funding of the PDL Mustang II and its race programme.
While Aston Martins and Ferraris aren't exactly a dime a dozen about Christchurch now, they were very rare back in the 1960s, early 1970s.
As a teenager, I was very impressed at seeing a distinguished looking gent driving around town at various times with an Aston and Ferrari and even a rare Gordon Keeble.
We knew the silver haired gent behind the wheel of these exotic cars to be PDL boss Bob Stewart.

Sir Robertson is rapidly approaching his 89th birthday, but he retains a sharp recall of the days when he was the head of one of New Zealand's leading race teams.
We spent a pleasant hour or so discussing some of the performance road cars he had owned and racing in general.
He explained how PDL had used the Mustang II and the team as a very effective marketing tool. "People hardly give much thought to a switch (for example), which will often last for 50 years, but the racing helped create brand awareness and it was well worth it in terms of the exposure gained,'' he considers.
But, it still rankles him that, at the time, the IRD refused to recognise the team's racing expenses as legitimate business related expenses.

Sir Robertson retains his enthusiasm for racing and is keen to see the fully refurbished car back on the track.
I came away thinking that, if only I'd had time to prepare, I could have asked him 100 questions.
For his part, Todd, who hasn't yet driven the Mustang, is itching to be part of something that is inexorably tied to his interest in racing.
He will also be back for a tilt at the South Island Formula Ford Championship, but tentative plans for a run in the Australian Formula Holden Championship have been abandoned because he and his wife are expecting their first child.
The refurbishment work on the car is being completed at the Canterbury Motor Racing School, with John Crawford and Richard Box heavily involved.
Everything is being crack tested, the rose joints replaced, the engine being rebuilt and the diff, gearbox and braking system overhauled.
Everything that needs replacing will be replaced. Once the car is rebuilt, the intention is that Todd will race it at the Southern Festival of Speed events (Ruapuna, Teretonga and Timaru) and perhaps the Whitaker's Classic at Manfeild; so that race fans throughout the country will be able to share in Canterbury's enthusiasm for this fabulous piece of New Zealand motor racing history.