POWER and the open road are all synonymous with the mighty Mack truck, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in Australia.
The highway Hercules first rolled off the assembly line in a factory in Brisbane in 1963. But it first arrived in Australia in 1919 when Vacuum Oil, now Mobil Oil, ordered two AC models from the US.
The soldiers referred to them as "bulldogs" and the name stuck - from 1932 a bulldog has adorned the bonnet of every Mack truck.
Luke Refalo's passion for Macks began in childhood when he and his brothers grew up dreaming of owning and driving the big rigs.
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READ NOWHe knows the number plates of each of the 21 Mack trucks he and his brothers have owned since their father started the family business in Sydney's west in 1988.
At one point they had eight Macks with dog-inspired names including "Two Dogs", "Under Dog" and "Good Dog".
A rusting 1964 B model he, a mate and one of his brothers rebuilt from scratch in 2007 named Misty Blue holds a special place in his heart.
To mark the anniversary, Mack Trucks has released a coffee table book documenting the history of Mack in Australia.
"The DMR [Department of Main Roads] at the time made the owner paint over it because it was too shiny, too much reflection."
Arguably one of the most famous Mack trucks was Autobot leader Optimus Prime, which was typically portrayed as a cab-over Mack until the 2007 Hollywood film adaptation of Transformers changed it to a Peterbilt.
To mark the anniversary Mack Trucks has released a limited edition 314-page coffee table book documenting the history of the trucks in Australia.