World's No. 1 Ford Retailer Heads Calif.'s Dealer Assn.

Bert Boeckmann is the 2006 chairman of the California Motor Car Dealers Assn.

Boeckmann is president of Galpin Ford and several other dealerships in the San Fernando Valley. Galpin Ford has been the No. 1 seller of Ford cars and trucks in the world for 15 years.

Other Galpin franchises are Jaguar (No. 1 in U.S. sales), Lincoln, Mercury, Saturn, Mazda, Volvo and Aston Martin.

“There are a lot of important issues affecting our industry in 2006, such as shifts in customer buying habits brought by higher gas prices and longer commutes, and continued factory programs that set or restrict our prices,” says Boeckmann.

He began his career selling automobiles at Galpin Ford in 1953, while a student at the University of Southern California. By 1957, at age 26, he was general manager of the company. In 1964 he was president and CEO, and by 1968 he was sole owner of Galpin Motors.