*Start Photo Essay by clicking the gallery above
California certainly is car crazy and a great place each December for industry members and car enthusiasts alike when the LA Auto Show comes to town at the Los Angeles Convention Center. All the major auto manufacturers worldwide are represented in the show, and for those that enjoy high-performance and race vehicles, there’s a good variety shown in both the main exhibit halls and inside The Garage section, which specializes is customized cars, exotics, gifts and aftermarket equipment. Truly something for everyone.
For members of the auto industry, the show promoters have put together an extensive four-day gathering called Automobility LA, with a focus on education and networking. Seminars like Electric Vehicles: From Romance to Dominance and The Future of Human Driving take place, and the schedule allows industry members to pick and choose what best interests them and their business. Plus there’s real benefit in walking through the halls and actually being able to talk and ask questions to factory representatives, including designers, engineers and marketing pros.
The photo essay that can be accessed by clicking below is a quick example of some of the highlights at the LA Auto Show, which runs through Dec. 10.
Plans are already underway for next year’s event. Check out www.laautoshow.com for additional details.
Frank Gaplin noticed one day in the late 1950s that his service and parts manager, Ron Hornaday, was a pretty good race driver behind the wheel of a NASCAR stock car. Starting in 1960, the dealership campaigned Galaxies on the west coast NASCAR circuit with Hornaday as their team driver, eventually winning the 1963 and ’64 championships. In recent years a 1964 Galaxie was sourced and an accurate re-creation was built as a tribute to the glory days, complete with a 410-horsepower, race-prepped 427 FE engine. Hornaday worked at the Galpin dealership for a total of 44 years and was instrumental in getting high-performance as part of their product push as well as assisting in them becoming the very first Shelby dealer in California.