“Ah, no work for this guy today. What am I going to do with myself? Hmmm… Oh yeah! I haven’t been to that new exotic car dealership yet.”
Finishes coffee, gets ready and goes to showroom.
“This place is bad-ass! A Bentley Azure, a Continental GTC, a Murcielago. Wait… Is that a freakin’ Bugatti EB110?!” Walks over to it. “Good grief! They only made 139 of these and I’m standing in front of one. I wonder who owned this damn thing. Hmmm…” Takes a peek at the quad-turbo V12. “Even back in the ’90s, Bugatti was crazy. Four turbos and 560 horsepower in 1991! These things must have been horrifyingly fast. Kind of surprised they aren’t more popular.”
Sits in the leather and wood-swathed cockpit.
“Not too keen on the woodgrain, but the fact that something this old has a 6-speed stick is pretty awesome.” Responds to a vibration from his phone. “Ugggh! Stupid work email. I wish I didn’t have to go back tomorrow.”
Thinks of how happy being in the showroom makes him – and how much he hates his current position at work.
“That cute girl at the reception desk said they’re looking for a new salesman. I think it’s time for a change…”
He proceeds to turn in an application. The next day, he quits his soul-crushing desk job. Shortly after that, he starts as a supercar sales consultant.
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.
