Car Dealer Plan Moves Forward

Galpin Ford took another step toward locating a major auto dealership in Burbank Tuesday when it exercised an option to buy an 8-acre manufacturing site for $12.75 million.

“The city of Burbank has been extremely supportive,” said Burt Boeckmann, owner of Galpin Ford. He added that the land provides “excellent freeway visibility.” Boeckmann, who has been considering the property for two years and signed an option to buy it last June, said he plans to use the space for a new- and used-car complex but has not decided on the car franchises.

The property, near Burbank Boulevard and the Golden State Freeway, is owned by the Zero Corp. The deal is expected to close escrow by Jan. 30, said the company’s chief executive officer, Wilford Godbold.

Los Angeles-based Zero Corp. moved its Burbank operation to Utah in 1991, and the company has leased the land since then.

Burbank’s city manager, Bud Ovrum, said there is still “a long way to go” but called the property move a “significant step.”

“We get very little auto sales now,” Ovrum said. “There’s tremendous potential for growth.”

Galpin, which says it is the largest-volume Ford dealership in the country, also sells Saturns, Lincolns, Mercurys and Jaguars. The firm said it sold about 20,000 new cars last year.