Auto profile | Steven Thomson

Owner of: STS Vehicles Ltd

Having been heavily influenced by his father who did amateur racing in the 1970s, Steven Thomson was an auto fanatic from an early age. He now operates his mechanic business at 21 Lyndhurst Road where he services and repairs vehicles.

Admittedly, Thomson is a far way from his younger, more adventurous days in the racing industry. "After getting married and having my two kids, I decided to stop racing cars and resort to repairing vehicles. The most I will do now is take my Kawasaki KFX 450 to Holywell," revealed a jovial Thomson.

Q. What is your favourite destination to drive to in Jamaica, and why?

A. Port Royal, especially when I was younger. It was a smooth road and my friends and I would have a lot of fun on it.

Q. What was the first vehicle you owned, and what type of trouble was it known to give?

A. A Yugo 1987. It was a small car and very unpopular. My father bought it for me brand new, so it didn't give much trouble. It wasn't my choice, but beggars can't be choosers. I did some modifications to it and drove it so hard that the control arm tore through the body of the car.

Q. When did you develop a love for cars, and what was the first car that you loved?

A. My father used to race cars so my love started very early. I am very practical about the cars I like, so the first car I loved was the first car I bought - a 1993 Nissan Sentra SER. When it came out, it was one of the hottest vehicles to own, like the Honda Civic.

Q. If you had to choose two friends who are amateur drivers to represent you in a circuit race, who would you choose, and why?

A. Alex Wishart. He likes cars and I think he would be able to manage himself on the track. The next person I would choose is Chris Barnes. We used to drive all over Jamaica when we were younger. Back then he had a little Alto; he pushed it to the limit.

Q. What is one auto activity you would love to do with your son when he gets older?

A. I would love for me and him to get into a rally car one day and I would be his navigator. At this point, my reflexes for driving is no longer up there, so I would have to trust his judgement and be his navigator.

Q. What foreign country road do you like to drive on and why?

A. United States, I 95. I like the fact that it is one straight road. Usually it's a group of us driving separate vehicles, so it is a lot of fun.

Q. What is your favourite car movie, and which character would you play in it?

A. Mission Impossible with the BMW M4. I would be the lead character because I would have to drive it. On a different note, I don't think Tom did the vehicle justice in the movie. He didn't drive it properly; it was obvious he was not engaged.

Q. If you are at an adventure park and had the opportunity to: drive a go-kart, ride an ATV or race a canoe, which would you choose, and why?

A. ATV because it is more fun to go off road in the bushes.

Q. In another lifetime, which of the following jobs do you think you would be able to do, and why: motorbike courier, a public bus driver, a taxi driver.

A. I could definitely be a courier. I have been riding bikes since I was six, and by the time I was 10, I was riding through Jamaica's bushes, so this would be an easy job for me.