The Shelby American (Fall 2021)

exas resident Denise Tillman and her 1968 California Special coupe have been inseparable since she was two years-old. It’s obvious this Mustang was more than your average ‘special car.’ She spoke of it as if it were a member of the family. After our day together, I was convinced it was. She described how her entire life has been intertwined with this 1968 GT/CS Mustang and it all began when her parents made the purchase in 1972 while living in Libby, Montana. Having Denise sitting in the Mustang to commence our interview was all it took to bring back a flood of memories. “We moved to Bemidji, Minnesota in 1975, when I was five years-old, and I can recall standing in front of my dad, in the front seat, and being just tall enough to peek over the dash. It was fun riding in the back seat to and from school, but harrowing when, dur- ing a nasty thunderstorm, we had to ride out a tornado warning in the IGA grocery store parking lot. I can re- member winter mornings with my teeth chattering, begging the car’s heater to warm up with the tempera- ture outside at minus 25° F.” My wife and I agreed to meet Denise in Lockhart, Texas – the BBQ Capital of the World (in Texas, at least – to short-stop arguments) – and The SHELBY AMERICAN Fall 2021 88 – Jim Kreuz T