Bert Boeckmann, a pioneer in the auto industry in the San Fernando Valley who also was heavily involved in community work, died on April 28. He was 92.
Boeckmann passed away at his home in Northridge surrounded by his family. He died two years to the day of the passing of his wife, Jane.
He will be best remembered as the owner of Galpin Motors, the car dealership group in North Hills anchored by a Ford dealership that was the top seller of Fords in the world for 29 years.
In all, he went on to develop a constellation of a dozen dealerships that sold everything from Honda and Volkswagen cars to Lotus and Aston Martin vehicles. Because he rose from a salesman to a nationally prominent auto dealer, all while giving back to his community, Boeckmann was given a Horatio Alger award, which was one of many honors he received.
Although Boeckmann made his lengthy career in the auto business, he said he was not “a car guy,” but was instead a people person.
“When I look at it I really enjoy people, and it would be devastating to me if I were to say something to you and it turned out not to be the truth,” Boeckmann said in a 2006 interview with the Business Journal. “But I’ve been that way my whole life.”
Attorney Lee Kannon Alpert, a well-known civic leader in the Valley, called Boeckmann a true “superhero” of the Valley, adding that his death left an opening that won’t be filled.
He met with presidents and had financial interests around the world, but when you spoke with Boeckmann he was always the same type of guy – straight, direct, never mincing his words, Alpert said.
“He was the kind of person that people could have nothing but respect for. And not just because of how much money he had or what he did, but because of who he was as a person,” Alpert added.
Joe Molina, who knew Boeckmann for more than 35 years, including 20 as the publicist for Galpin Motors, said that Boeckmann believed in an ongoing relationship with a customer versus a one-time sale of a car.
“He was fair beyond fair. His word was his bond,” Molina said. “He never went for the last buck in a deal when a fair price created customers for life.”
Salesman’s beginnings
Herbert Boeckmann II was born in South Gate in 1931 and grew up in Glendale.
In 1953, at age 22, he became a salesman at Galpin Ford, then located in San Fernando. By 1957 he was the general manager of the dealership; he assumed the role of president in 1964, and in 1968 Boeckmann was the owner of the dealership. In 1966, the company moved to North Hills and occupied Galpin Square on Roscoe Boulevard right off the 405 Freeway, an area envisioned as America’s first “automobile department store.”
“His personality and his genuine appreciation of people had made Boeckmann a good salesman almost from the start, but now at the helm, he was finally able to install the kinds of systems that better served his need for order and efficiency and a culture based on the honesty with which he has approached everything in life,” the 2006 Business Journal story said.
In a 2003 interview with the Graziadio Business Review, published by Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management, Boeckmann discussed ethics in the workplace and how he dealt with the topic.
While trying to build a business around trust, that doesn’t mean not monitoring the business to make sure that one person is not taking advantage of another, Boeckmann said.
“We would hope that everyone would tell the truth, but if we have someone who is not truthful, we want to discover that. It is not a matter of spying; it is using common sense and monitoring,” he added. “And if a question comes up, we look into it and find out what the truth is.”
Kenn Phillips, the former president of Valley Economic Alliance, said that Boeckmann optimized his success by using three principles — like, trust and respect.
Without question, Boeckmann loved people, his work and his family, Phillips said, and if one had lunch with him, one would know how the conversation would go.
“He would ask questions about my family, my projects, and what pie I would like for dessert,” he added. “After time to reflect on the meeting, I knew that I had just left an elder statesman that listened and used his wisdom to guide me to think bigger while following my instincts to make the San Fernando Valley a better place to live, work, learn, and play.”
In a statement from the Boeckmann family on the patriarch’s passing, he was called an automotive legend and a true American hero who stood apart with all of his accomplishments, but one would never know how successful he was based on how he made them feel.
“He always welcomed everyone with whom he interacted with open arms, treated them with respect, and went to great lengths to make sure they felt listened to and that they were treated fairly,” the family said in the statement. “Bert was a man of unwavering faith, as well as incredible kindness, integrity, caring, compassion and a remarkable humanitarian.”
Leading by example
Boeckmann was also a game changer in the auto industry.
Among the firsts at Galpin were leasing options for individuals; an in-store restaurant, the Horseless Carriage; sunroofs; and the first methanol station in the world. Boeckmann is also credited with launching the surfer-van craze by adding such touches as fold-out beds to customized vans.
“He was the first to have a Starbucks in-house at a car showroom while you were buying a Jag or a Lincoln Volvo or Aston Martin,” Molina said. “Their Porsche dealership has a museum below it. Who does that? Bert wasn’t just ahead of the curve … he threw the curve.”
Some of Boeckmann’s commitments to the community include two decades of service as an Los Angeles Police Department commissioner. He was also an executive board member of the Boy Scouts of America, served on former Mayor Tom Bradley’s blue-ribbon committee on budget and finance, and held a seat on the CSUN Association Executive Advisory Council, according to a story in the Daily News.
Brad Rosenheim, president of the land-use planning firm Rosenheim & Associates Inc. in Woodland Hills, said that he looked to Boeckmann as the quintessential leader who led by example and demonstrated a commitment to the betterment of the city, the Valley and his community.
“Bert was a true gem of the Valley, and all of our lives have been enriched by his dedication to its success and future,” Rosenheim said.
Randy Witt, immediate past chair of the Valley Economic Alliance and former chair of the Fernando Award Foundation, called Boeckmann’s contributions to the Valley enormous.
“The Valley Economic Alliance received so much support from Bert, not only financially but also as a long-time board member who served on our management team,” said Witt. “He was an inaugural Star of the Valley Award recipient from the Alliance in 1998.”
The organization felt so strongly about his contributions to the Valley that in 2018 it renamed its business award the “Jane and Bert Boeckmann Business Leadership Award.”
“He was also honored with the Fernando Award as a volunteer and philanthropist in the Valley,” Witt added. “Bert led by example, as a philanthropist, a business leader, and a compassionate human being.”
Boeckmann is survived by his daughters Laverne and Denise; sons Brett, Brad, Beau, and their spouses; 12 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law Thyra and Gloria; and many extended family members.