NOT only is Dee Pittman-White the proud owner of the three cherry rides you see here, she’s also the powerhouse behind the Spartan 1 Motorsport team. Yet her heart lies in the promotion of the Blue Tree Project, whose mission is to help spark difficult conversations and encourage people to speak up when battling mental health concerns. We sat down with Dee to find out more about that, as well as her 1968 and 2018 Mustangs and 2008 HSV GTS race car.

First published in the December 2021 issue of Street Machine

Nice stable Dee! How’d it come about?

I prefer old-school cars – I was previously the Monaro Car Club of WA’s vice-president, though I sold my HQ GTS coupe in 2010. When I went to buy another car in 2017, Monaros were out of my price range. I love the shape of the Monaro hips, and I feel the early Mustangs have similar lines. Though I prefer coupes over the fastbacks, and the 1967-68 concaved tailplate. So I bought myself a ’67 Mustang coupe, but sold it in 2019 to fund the race car. Then in 2020 I bought my ’68.

Tell us about it.

I wasn’t sure on the Meadowlark Yellow with tan interior, but when I saw it sitting in the seller’s driveway I fell in love – she’s beautiful! Her name is Daisy. I recently added a decent cam, a bigger carby and updated manifold to the 302ci Windsor. Firing her up for the first time after the engine mods and hearing the lumpy cam and sweet exhaust was amazing. She also now runs racing stripes; matte-black wrap with gold pinstriped edging. I have matching stripes on my 2018 GT Mustang, Betty.

How did you come to own Betty?

I bought her in 2020 with only 7500km on the clock. She is exactly 50 years younger than Daisy, and when I found it in Shadow Black with a six-speed manual, I thought, why not? It was better than the boring daily I had. With the Coyote five-litre, Performance Package 2 and MagneRide suspension, she handles beautifully – like a race car.

Tell us about your HSV race car.

I bought the HSV in 2019 to replace the Suzuki Swift we were racing. My ex, Steve Pittman, drives the car and I manage the Spartan 1 team. We had lined up Anton De Pasquale to drive in the 2020 Bathurst 6 Hour, but then COVID hit. Now he’s with Ford he couldn’t race with us, so this year Craig Baird and Scott Cameron raced with Steve.

What’s the GTS running?

A blueprinted and balanced 6.2L with factory six-speed and Bilstein three-way adjustable suspension. The Spartan 1 team is supported and crewed by our friends and family.

You and Steve are proud ambassadors for the Blue Tree Project, which is a big part of this too.

What’s better than racing a big, healthy V8 as a platform to help address men’s mental health? Both Steve and I have had our own personal experiences surrounding suicide, and I want to do what I can to help others. The Blue Tree Project is the perfect way to do that.

Girls — wanna be famous? Send pics, car details and contact details to: Iron Maiden, Street Machine, Locked Bag 12, Oakleigh, Vic 3166. Or email: [email protected].