Aussie stars shine at US show

An impressive presentation on the future of Ford, including a global drive by the Ford Focus, has Jac Nasser's name stamped all over it. Long before anyone got to work on today's One Ford strategy, Nasser was top man at the blue oval brand and trying to pull the company together in a centralised product-driven push into the 21st century. Nasser was eventually derailed by a power battle with Bill Ford, now the company chairman, but the Melbourne man is a superstar who heads my personal list of Aussie motoring heroes.

Peter Brock is another hero and Australia Day next week reminds me of the work he did so often, and so well, to help celebrate the occasion. Brock used to laugh heartily when he talked about trips to small country towns for parties on Australia day. Back at Detroit, design guru Mike Simcoe is prowling the GM stand. He's a legend in the Aussie car business (the Monaro alone guarantees his spot) who is coming home soon to continue the good work and enjoy life in Melbourne.

Kevin Wale is also on the GM stand and also a hero. He first surfaced as a heavyweight beancounter at Fishermans Bend and is now running GM China, the toughest and most important offshore posting in the business. Turning the clock back, there are lots of Australian heroes. Senator John Button re-wrote the rules for Australian carmaking in the 1980s and the success of the business can be traced back to his blueprint, as well as the enthusiasm of Industry Minister Kim Carr.

At Ford, the late Geoff Polites was the true superstar. Polites did everything right during his time at Broadmeadows and will be remembered as the man who bulldogged the Territory through the Detroit system, as well as a champion of the Falcon and local motor sport. Sadly, he died too young after being tapped to head Jaguar and Land Rover in the UK.

Toyota is less inspiring, until you remember John Conomos and Bob Miller. The dynamic duo drove the Japanese brand to number one in Australia, with Miller creating the brilliant 'chook' advertising for the boring Camry, and Conomos is now badly missed at the top.

It's impossible to have a list of Aussie heroes without the father of the original Holden, Sir Laurence Hartnett, and marketing guru John Bagshaw who also starred overseas before returning to head Holden.

On the motorsport front, there are plenty of legends. Sir Jack Brabham, Alan Jones, Mick Doohan, Mark Webber, Troy Bayliss, Chad Reed and Marcos Ambrose prove that Aussies can match the best in the world.

My personal guides are led by the late Evan Green - a journalist and author who also headed public relations at Leyland and Holden - and Peter Robinson, who still stands Gandolf-like at the top of motoring journalism in Australia as an inspiration far beyond his landmark leadership at Wheels magazine.