Car Kings

History was meant to be driven…

Beau Boeckmann and his crazy team at Galpin Auto Sports have become legends in the automotive industry and now they’re letting America behind the scenes on their builds. From Caroll Shelby’s infamous Pantera to a car built out of a bath tub, they’re digging through 100 years of car building history on a search for the coolest and craziest builds ever attempted… And then they’re bringing them back to life!

Participants

Beau Boeckmann

Beau Boeckmann

Beau Boeckmann grew up on the showroom floors of Galpin dealerships learning the ropes from his father, Bert Boeckmann, a man widely recognized as one of the most successful and respected automobile dealers in the country. Beau had the opportunity to work with a variety of Galpin dealerships and eventually worked his way up to being named President and COO of Galpin in 2015.

In 2006, Beau launched Galpin Auto Sports (GAS) to create “Galpinized” vehicles in the spirit of the old Galpin motto: ”If you can dream it, we can build it!” Beau then brought the MTV show Pimp My Ride to Galpin Auto Sports (along with “Mad Mike” Martin) for its final two seasons. Beau later recruited car builder and restorer Dave Shuten to help create the Galpin Speed Shop, where Dave builds and restores some of the most iconic cars and hot rods in the world.

Not just a Ford man, Beau is passionate about all things automotive and he gets just as much pleasure and enjoyment out of a 19th century Veteran car as he does out of a multi-million dollar hypercar. Beau has rubbed shoulders and directly worked with some of the most iconic figures in the industry, including Carroll Shelby, George Barris and Lee Iacocca. And with so much name recognition and influence, he has a rolodex filled with names to call in order to help him find exactly what he needs to create or restore any car he lays eyes on.
"Mad Mike" Martin

"Mad Mike" Martin

Mike has always been a tinkerer and has tried to customize and modify anything he can get his hands on since he was a kid growing up in Compton, CA. Mike even claims he used to carry around a briefcase complete with plush lining, secret compartments, and a working stereo system.

After serving in the Air Force, Mike made a career out of building and wiring outrageous projects and became a household name when his crazy ideas were brought to life on MTV’s Pimp My Ride. He joined Galpin Auto Sports when the show moved from West Coast Customs and has been flexing his creative muscles on Galpin vehicles ever since. From installing a hot tub in a minivan to a Land Rover turned yoga studio, there is no challenge that Mad Mike has failed to meet. As the man himself says, “if it comes out of your mouth, I can do it.”

While Dave is a staunch purist and automotive conservationist, Mike sees every car, jalopy or Jaguar, rustbucket or Rolls Royce, as hunks of metal that can be bent and shaped to create something truly unique. Mike isn’t as concerned with preserving history as he is with making new ones.
Dave Shuten

Dave Shuten

Dave Shuten grew up in a small town outside of Detroit, Michigan building go-karts and mini-bikes from parts salvaged in a nearby junkyard. He frequented the indoor car shows of the 1970s and idolized the works of legends like Ed Roth and George Barris. When he was 14 years old, he graduated from Hot Wheels and model cars and began building his first real car, a 1966 Chevy Impala SS. Dave spent 16 years as a toolmaker for GM, but continued to spend whatever time he had dedicated to building cars.

Then, in 2003, he decided to build a replica of Ed Roth’s iconic twin-engine Mysterion, which earned him his first cover on Rod & Custom magazine and launched his career as a builder and restorer of classic and custom cars. Dave began

working with Beau Boeckmann for the first time when he was asked to restore Ed Roth’s bubble-top Orbitron show car. In January 2010, he decided to move to California to work for Beau full-time and together they created the Galpin Speed Shop; an automotive laboratory perfectly fitted for a mad scientist to create and restore the most iconic hot rods and custom cars. While at Galpin, Dave has built several iconic hot rods including the Iron Orchid and a recreation of the classic “Grasshopper” and he has restored a number of classic cars including the Pink Panthermobile.

Dave is both a student and a steward of history and considers himself a purist in the strictest sense of the word. He believes in restoring cars to their former glories and keeping every part era specific, preserving the history of the vehicle.