Derek Shiekhi

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.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum, H-D Forums, The Mustang Source, Mustang Forums, LS1Tech, HondaTech, Jaguar Forums, YotaTech, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts. Derek also started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

This Ranger is a Danger at the Drag Strip

Back in high school, I heard that some people put 5.0s into old Ford Rangers for drag racing. I had forgotten about that highly effective way of making a fast-ass truck until now. Apparently, Krista Elyse has known about such a performance enhancement for a while. However, she went beyond five liters. Her Ranger packs […] More »

By: Derek Shiekhi | August 14, 2014

Go Broncos! Watch a 1966 Ford Commercial

A lot has changed in the automotive world since 1966. However, to this day it’s still a good idea to make the truck-like vehicle you’re marketing attractive, versatile and rugged. The following commercial for the 1966 Ford Bronco makes it look as if it has all three of those characteristics. Its straight, masculine lines fit […] More »

By: Derek Shiekhi | August 13, 2014

Super Dutys on a Banked Track and More at Ford’s Product Development Center

Thanks to a misunderstanding about a missed phone call and a colleague up in Michigan, I recently had the privilege of attending the Further with Ford Trend Conference 2014 in Dearborn. Over the course of two days, I saw the outer faces of the automaker both flesh-and-blood and bricks-and-mortar, some of its inner workings, its current […] More »

By: Derek Shiekhi | July 7, 2014

ICON Customizes a Raptor With Loads of Lights

I didn’t think it was possible to make a truck as big, burly and aggressive-looking as the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor look understated, but ICON has done just that. There are no vinyl mud graphics here. Just conservative colors and subtle, high-quality accents. The LA company resprayed the pickup in a Ferrari greyish green and […] More »

By: Derek Shiekhi | April 18, 2014

Ford to Give Lima Engine Plant a Financial (Eco)Boost

It takes money to make money. A company that’s been in business as long as Ford knows that. Which explains why the automaker is pumping $500 million into its Lima, Ohio engine plant so that it’s set up to produce the 2015 F-150’s new 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6. There are several reasons why this investment should […] More »

By: Derek Shiekhi | April 11, 2014

Big Red Super Duty Attempts to Crush Car; Fails

When my brother and I were younger, we had a bad habit of breaking our toys. We would take out a hammer and smash unlucky Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars to smithereens, then howl with laughter and amazement at how far the bits of metal and plastic flew. (Don’t tell my mom.) The video you’re […] More »

By: Derek Shiekhi | April 11, 2014

Even the 2015 F-150’s Seats Are Built Ford Tough

Imagine that new job you just landed involves a lot of sitting. Actually, it’s pretty much nothing else. Sweet gig, right? Now imagine you have to sit down hundreds or thousands of times a day. And you have to wear dirty jeans. That’s the kind of work the Blue Oval gave to “a crew of […] More »

By: Derek Shiekhi | April 10, 2014