DEARBORN, Mich. - We met Doug Hvidston at the Mustang Club of Indianapolis’ ‘Race to Indy’ show this past summer. Doug was waiting outside of the entrance to the indoor pavilion where our own John Clor, Ford Performance Enthusiast Communications Manager, had just completed presentation about an all-new enthusiast communications platform called Ford “Performance Club Connect.” (See www.FordPerformanceClubConnect.com for info.) When Doug spotted John, he asked him about the new Ford Ranger and the upcoming Ford Bronco. Turns out Doug’s interest in Ford Off-Road Vehicles (ORV’s) dates all the way back to World War II. Check out Doug’s email to us below to hear about his little-known Ford “Jeep” vehicle:

“Hello, Ford Performance. My name is Doug Hvidston, member of the Mustang Club of Indianapolis. I just wanted to follow up to say, ‘Thanks’ for being a part of our club’s 39th Annual Mustang Show. The Ford Performance Meet & Greet tent looked busy all day, but I hope John Clor had the time to enjoy seeing all the awesome cars on display and to talk with some of the region’s best Mustang enthusiasts!

“I enjoyed the Ford Performance presentation and my conversation with John about the upcoming Ford Ranger and the possibility of a Ranger Raptor for the U.S. and the launch of a new Ford Bronco. I was surprised to hear that he knew about Ford’s history with building military ‘Jeep’ vehicles. To that end, I have sent you photos of my 1942 Ford GPW ‘Jeep’ along with a fact sheet on my Ford ‘Jeep.’

“The GPW had a frame-off restoration three years ago and has won several awards for its restoration ... right down to the original Ford ‘F’-marked bolts and branded parts which are prominent on the Ford ‘Jeep.’

“When it comes time for your launch of the new Bronco or any other new off-road Ford utility, just let me know how I can be of service to you in future promotions regarding Ford's historic off road vehicles and its WWII ‘Jeep’ project. My Ford ‘Jeep’ would look great in your display!”

How YOU can Get In The Spotlight: For several years now, one of the most popular features on FordPerformance.com and in our Fast News e-newsletter continues to be "Ford Fan Spotlight," where readers can send in their own reasons why they're fans of Ford Motor Company. You know who they are: Ford "superfans;" grassroots Ford racers; unique Ford vehicle owners; loyal Ford enthusiasts; notable Ford club people; special Ford families; and/or any avid supporter of Ford, Ford vehicles, Ford motorsports or Ford Performance who deserves a little bit of special recognition.

All you need to do to get you, your car or candidate considered is to send in a brief description (200-500 words or less) and a few photos (in .jpeg format, preferably 300 dpi) of a person (full name and hometown, please) and vehicle that you think Ford Performance should feature (and why) in the "Ford Fan Spotlight" for an upcoming installment of Fast News and posting on FordPerformance.com. Then email it to: ClubHub@Ford.com. Should you wish to send a video, you simply need to post it on www.YouTube.com (preferably 1-2 minutes long) and send in the link, along with a brief description, to that same ClubHub@Ford.com email address. We'll choose one submission each week.