Perhaps this story is about a journey as much as a rediscovery. It begins in early 1969, when my brother Dave Henderson ordered a new Pontiac Grand Prix SJ from Skeie Motors in Ames, Iowa. Completely redesigned for 1969, the Grand Prix was John DeLorean’s statement to the automotive world of what a personal luxury muscle car should be. This stunning example in Castilian Bronze featured a 428 cubic-inch 370 horsepower motor, a rare Muncie four-speed option, and a Safe-T-Track differential, along with an AM-FM radio, air conditioning, and automatic level control.
The car served as Dave’s regular transportation for nearly nine years until he sold it to me in January 1978. I was thrilled and proud to bring the Grand Prix home to Dayton, Ohio, where it became my own daily driver. The GP was also pressed into service for important life events, such as limousine duty when my wife and I were married that September and when our two new baby daughters came home from the hospital over the following years.
In September 1981, the Grand Prix was severely damaged during an errand run while preparing for a family move. A fuel line leak caused an underhood fire that spread into the interior. Unfortunately, with new job responsibilities and a young family, I had to let the GP go.
Accepting a meager insurance settlement, I sold the car’s remains to Bob Morris in Dayton. He masterfully completed a frame-off restoration over the next two years. I generally lost track of the car over time, although Bob occasionally kept in contact to share stories of interest.
Our 1969 Grand Prix SJ was a daily driver that included plenty of winter use in the Ohio region. This photo shows the car buried in the driveway by the Blizzard of 1978. MARK HENDERSON
In August 2004, my wife “got the feeling” that we should look for our old car and see if we could buy it back. Approaching Bob Morris first, he reported he had sold the GP in 1994 but couldn’t remember the buyer’s name. With help from an Internet group that specializes in 1969–72 Grands Prix, we eventually discovered a car very similar to ours that was sold at Barrett-Jackson in January 1999. B-J’s documentation included a VIN, and Bob’s records confirmed that the numbers matched those from our old car. Using savvy advice from a great friend, we approached Barrett-Jackson’s management to request they pass our information along to the buyers should they ever decide to sell. Miraculously, Steve and Cindy Wade in Washington State already had the car advertised for sale. All the numbers still matched, colors were as original, and the car had been very well maintained by both the Wades and another previous owner, Tom Kelley. We made a deal, and just before Christmas 2004, the GP arrived home in Kokomo, Indiana.
Today the Grand Prix enjoys much easier duty, but is still driven and enjoyed quite frequently. MARK HENDERSON
With no real information to begin from and after a 23-year absence, we were humbly blessed that our old Grand Prix found its way back to us after just four months of searching. The GP rejoined our family in time to transport both of our daughters to their individual weddings, and to eventually bring our first granddaughter home in style. Our thanks go out to the GP’s past caretakers across seven states for their care of the car, and also for their friendship today.