While walking the rows of great cars at a recent show, Debbie Brown’s ’66 Mustang practically dared us not to stop and check it out. Tucked between a healthy sampling of bold reds, blues and other modern hues, Debbie’s Z-code Sauterne Gold fastback stole the spotlight.
“Growing up in Indianapolis my father was a car guy which is how I became interested,” the Florida resident and Lakeland Cruisers club member said.“We loved the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and of course Indy car racing.”
It was this influence that Debbie says hooked her at an early age.
Though Debbie’s formative years may have involved high-revving race cars, her early career was about as far from the track as one could get.
“I worked in the flower industry for 20-plus years,” Debbie, who is as comfortable around floral arrangements as she is the show field, explained.
Upon meeting her husband, their found a way to blend Deb’s early automotive interest with her thriving business.
“My husband and I sponsored race cars at a local track, which led us to become interested in classic cars,” she said.
A Riding Mower
As many owners can understand, Deb’s first turn at vehicle ownership was substance over style.
“With a young daughter, I needed a inexpensive mode of transportation so, yes, I had a white, 1973 Vega Wagon.” she explained. “Dad would make fun of it by always ‘looking for the lawn mower blades underneath it.’”
Today with that white lawn mower squarely in the past, Deb and her husband enjoy driving and showing their Mustang GT Fastback and original, steel-body ’38 DeSoto S-5 Touring Sedan.
“We drive them for pleasure and attend car shows so other people can enjoy these historic vehicles” Debbie, who was recently interviewed for a television segment on women in hot rodding, said.
“Do your homework, talk to people at car shows, and remember investing in a classic is never ending” the woman with the green — or in this case — Sauterne Gold thumb added.
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