Fifth-annual car show showcased approximately 150 cars ranging from a ’66 coupe to the modern Ford Shelby GT350.
Southern California is a land of great weather, automotive enthusiasts, and beautiful scenery. It’s the perfect place to drive and enjoy cars like the Ford Mustang. The fifth-annual Highway Earth Car Show at Franklin Canyon Park showcased approximately 150 cars from a variety of decades and manufacturers; roughly 10 percent of them were from Ford or featured Ford power in one way or another, according to Ford Performance.
After jogging and walking his dogs in a park near the Hollywood Hills several times, photographer and filmmaker Evan Klein realized he had found a great spot for a car show. It’s been used for shows in general; Franklin Canyon Park is near the intersection of Coldwater Canyon Boulevard and Mulholland Drive, where many small screen and silver screen productions have been shot. Five years ago, Klein held the first annual Highway Earth Car Show. Unlike other events of its kind, it doesn’t feature classes, points, or judges. The Highway Earth Car Show is all about bringing the family out to enjoy the wonder and beauty of automobiles.
Attendees of this year’s show were treated to a variety of powerful Ford and Ford-associated creations. The oldest one there was a Model T. It was rusty, but also trusty, making several runs around the lake in the middle of the property. Another blue oval loyalist brought a chopped and raked 1932 three-window coupe. There was even a DeTomaso Pantera running a 351 Cleveland and an ’05 GT.
Of course, there were also plenty of Ford Mustangs on site. No car show would be complete without at least one. Shelby Mustangs from every generation were plentiful. One owner brought their 1965 GT350. Another rolled in with an Aspen Green Metallic 1967 GT500. Allen Grant, an original Shelby American racing team driver, went to the next level by roaring in with his bright yellow 1963 Cobra. Newer Shelbys were there, as well, including GT350s, GT500s, and Super Snakes.
SoCal is already a beautiful place, but Klein and the people who participated in the Highway Earth Car Show found a way to make it even more attractive, especially to Ford fans.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
