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Galpin Auto Sports has issued the following press release:
GALPIN AUTO SPORTS AND HENRIK FISKER DEBUT 725-HP “ROCKET”,
BASED ON THE 2015 FORD MUSTANG, AT 2014 LOS ANGELES AUTO SHOW
Renowned Automotive Designer and Customizer Partner to Develop “The Ultimate American Muscle Car” – A Low-Volume Carbon Fiber-Bodied Super-Mustang
LOS ANGELES (November 20, 2014) – Galpin Auto Sports and Henrik Fisker finally took the wraps off of their “Ultimate American Muscle Car” today at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show. Following a short press conference, Henrik Fisker and Galpin’s President, Beau Boeckmann unveiled a low-volume production, carbon fiber-bodied, super-Mustang dubbed “Rocket.”
The Rocket’s design is unmistakably inspired by specialty pony cars of the 1960’s and early 1970’s including the 1968 Shelby GT500. Anchored by an imposing hexagonal carbon fiber grill—which is split by a polished aluminum bar and wild horse running across the horizon reminiscent of the ’60’s Mustangs—the Rocket’s lines emanate from the front, through the long hood, over a set of sculptured flared fenders and converge on its integrated rear spoiler, belying the car’s extreme power and refined athleticism.
“Mustang has been my favorite car for almost my entire life,” said Boeckmann. “I had the pleasure of working with Ford’s development team for the last few years, and I think they absolutely nailed it. So of course, I wanted to do something really special when the new Mustang came out. When Henrik showed me his ideas, I got chills—it’s literally the most beautiful Mustang I have ever seen. Considering it’s our top product for customizing and performance at GAS, it is a natural fit for us to try to make the performance stand out as much as the design does. Doing this project with my dear friend Henrik—who I consider one of the greatest designers of all time—is simply a dream come true!”
The handmade carbon-fiber bodywork—constructed by renowned concept car builder, GFMI Metalcrafters Inc., of Fountain Valley, Calif., headed by CEO Mike Alexander—features a number of functional scoops and vents that direct airflow where it is needed most. A front splitter helps draw out hot air from underneath the car and improve engine cooling, while simultaneously working in conjunction with the rear spoiler, enlarged rear diffuser and polished carbon fiber aero skirts to provide needed high-speed downforce.
The Rocket’s sculptured hood features two large air intakes that are designed to channel cooler outside air through the engine compartment, supplementing the grill and front splitter in keeping the 725-hp V8 engine at peak operating temperature. Two additional scoops, mounted on the rear fenders ahead of the wheels help channel air to cool oversized 15-inch Brembo Grand Turismo high performance brakes.
“It's a special moment when you get to work on a car like the Ford Mustang. This is a project born out of passion, it's a dream come true, to have the opportunity to "touch" a Mustang and apply my design ideas to it,” said Fisker. I love the 60’s American muscle cars. They are more sculptured, with more radical proportions and bold details than European counterparts. My favorite Mustang is the 1968 Shelby GT500 that had this long hood and huge air intakes; it gave me butterflies the first time I saw it. We wanted to recreate that feeling with this car.”
The Rocket is painted with a custom mixed silver called Éminence Grise and rides on large 21-inch ADV.1 wheels with Pirelli P-Zero extreme performance tires that are supported by a front and rear independent, fully-adjustable suspension; allowing owners the capability to set their car up to their own preference, or specially “tune” the Rocket for optimal street or track duty.
“Ford’s engineers and Moray Callum’s design team did an amazing job with the new Mustang,” said Henrik Fisker. “So good in fact, I think the design additions and power upgrades we have made to the car help it play in a higher league, against much more expensive supercars!”
Henrik Fisker and Galpin’s partnership though unlikely at first glance, has been a longtime coming. Galpin itself has a 60 year history of customizing and coach-building specialty cars. In addition to being home to the top volume Ford dealer in the world, Galpin also owns one of the top performing Aston Martin stores in the United States. Fisker too has a history of specialty coach building and designing, making a name for himself as the designer of the BMW Z8, the coach-built Fisker Tramonto and Latigo CS, the Aston Martin DB9 and the V8 Vantage, and even his own luxury plug-in hybrid sedan, the Fisker Karma. It was with Aston Martin that Henrik Fisker and Beau Boeckmann at Galpin first crossed paths. From 2001 to 2005 Henrik Fisker served as board member for Aston Martin and as the brand’s Design Director, when it was then owned by Ford. The two continued to travel in the same circles—even after Fisker’s tenure at Aston—and the rest as they say, is history.
Fast forward to August of 2014, when Henrik Fisker approached Boeckmann with some advanced design sketches for a concept of what would later become Rocket just after the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The two men discussed a potential joint venture to build the car and, in short order, came to an agreement to move forward with construction.
Make no mistake however, this is not a one-off concept. The car that debuted on the LA Auto Show stand is the first example of a low-volume series. Production of the Rocket begins in December with the first deliveries beginning in early 2015. Interested buyers will have the option of purchasing a car through Galpin Ford directly or through one of several hand-picked dealers across the country and around the world.
