The Pontiac GTO Judge is an example of what America can do.
This country can make raw materials into supersonic jets, ordinary folks from small towns into global entertainment superstars, and, in the case of the Judge, a no-frills model into a highly collectible legend that’s now worth more than six figures.
The GTO Judge, such as the 1969 convertible in the video below, doesn’t need a whole lot of help, though. Just look at it. Those delicious, free-flowing “Coke-bottle” lines. Those unforgettable wheels. Those functional hood scoops that feed air to the 400-cubic-inch V8. It looks so good as it is that it makes you forget about the options Pontiac wanted buyers to add to GTO Judges back in the day.
That’s another thing Americans can do: have fun without a ton of bells and whistles going off. Just give us a bat and a ball, an acoustic guitar and a campfire, or a good-looking car with a big engine and rear-wheel drive, and we’re happy.
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.
