Gallery: This Mustang is a friendly ghost

Casper the Mustang has lead a long and illustrious life. In your average grid, it would appear to be a white race-prepped 'Stang as any other, but this machine tells a tale. Built in 1965, it retains its original underpinnings even today. In 1990 it received its mid-life motorsport makeover at the hands of Mustang racing guru Walther Hane. One stripped, blasted and seam welded shell and one top-to-bottom track focused build later, and you have yourself a former drive-in cinema poser, turned committed track weapon.

The car was nicknamed Casper (after the popular animated ghost character), by Hane's daughter for its resplendent white paint. The name stuck and a sticker of the friendly ghost remains. 

In subsequent years, the car made its way over to Europe to compete in Appendix K race disciplines as per later modifications by Hane and Jim Chapman. It would go on to take victories in 2003 FIA GT European Appendix K and 2009 HSCC Appendix K titles with a smattering of individual race victories along the way. 

The current owner, 2013 FIA Historic F1 Champion Gregory Thornton acquired the car from Jim in a hurry in 2012. Greg had received a personal invite from Prince Joachim of Denmark to race in the Aarhus classic. The car they were going to use, their much loved Ford Falcon, met its unfortunate demise in a workshop fire. Not wanting to let down the Prince, a frantic search for a car ensued. Casper was found and purchased in the nick of time. 

Now, Casper regularly competes in Historic racing events with Greg at the wheel enjoying varied reasonable success and a good pampering with a nut and bolt rebuild as of 2013. 

This Mustang on its own isn't standout, but dig a little deeper and you find Casper is as travelled as they come. Twenty five years as a conventional American road hack, a new life as Casper the (rather succesful) race Mustang, before being bought in the nick of time by Greg and saving the day for the Aarhus Classic. 

To think the person who originally bought what would become Casper the Mustang back in 1965 had no idea what a life he would lead, and his story continues to unfold. 

Photography by Tom Shaxson