Galpin Ford Showcases Shelby Cars

Owners and enthusiasts of cars designed by the late Carroll Shelby will meet at Galpin Ford Aug. 26 for an All-Shelby car show. The event will feature a dozen vehicles from the Galpin collection and others owned by outside collectors, said Ted Mengiste, director of Galpin Auto Sports. “This is the 50th anniversary for Carroll Shelby and it is a nice celebration of his vehicles,” Mengiste said. “We will have the old and the new here.” Shelby was a 1950s race car driver who designed several notable vehicles, including the Cobra and versions of the Mustang for Ford in the 1960s, and several models for Dodge in the 1980s and 1990s. He died in May. Galpin was the first dealer for Shelby’s cars in California. Galpin Auto Sports recently was designated an official Shelby modification shop, thus making the company eligible to make the same upgrades as the Shelby American Inc. shop in Las Vegas. Galpin Owner Bert Boeckmann and his son Beau Boeckmann, who heads up Galpin Auto Sports, were friends with Shelby. “There was a business and personal relationship that dates back years with the both of them,” Mengiste said. Shelby popularized pony cars and muscle cars by designing light-body cars with a lot of horsepower, Mengiste said. “That is what the expectation was from people who are car enthusiasts — packing that power into a package that is fun to drive,” he said. The All-Shelby Car Show runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Galpin Ford, located at 15505 Roscoe Blvd., in North Hills. – Mark R. Madler