Like many Americans, I am a John Wayne fan. Whether portraying a fighter pilot in The Flying Tigers, a solider in Back To Bataan, a sheriff in Rio Bravo, or a gruff bad ass in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Big Jake, or The Shootist, I’m always entertained by The Duke. And who could forget the film endeared by many Pontiac enthusiasts—and certainly most Firebird fans—McQ, where Wayne plays Seattle police detective Lon McQ who drives a Brewster Green 1973 Trans Am.
As a John Wayne fan, I had the recent pleasure of visiting the John Wayne Birthplace Museum in Winterset, Iowa. Located 14 miles south of I-80 in central Iowa, it’s definitely worth exiting for.
Did you know that Trans Am wasn’t the only Pontiac steering wheel that John Wayne sat behind? In his personal life Wayne’s vehicle of choice was full-size Pontiac station wagons. It seems that he owned at least three during the 1970s.
I found this image of John Wayne’s modified 1970 Bonneville wagon on the internet.
I had seen pictures of his ’70 Bonneville wagon and remember when his last car—a ’75 Grand Safari—crossed Barrett-Jackson’s auction block a few years back, but I wasn’t totally aware that he’d had another Pontiac between them.
This image of John Wayne’s 1975 Grand Safari was from Barrett-Jackson’s auction billing.
John Wayne was born Marion Morrison in Winterset, Iowa—a small town just southwest of Des Moines. Although the Morrison family moved out of Winterset when Marion was 3 years old, the family house remains and is part of the John Wayne Birthplace Museum located in the center of town.
On display in the John Wayne Birthplace Museum is The Duke’s ‘72 Grand Safari.
Every time I travel across I-80 and pass the Winterset exit (Iowa Exit 110) and its sign denoting “The Birthplace of John Wayne,” I remind myself that I need to set aside some time to tour the museum. Well, on a recent trip to Des Moines and a bit of time to spare, I ventured 14 miles south into Winterset to pay tribute to a great American icon.
The interior of John Wayne’s ‘72 Grand Safari is completely original.
I considered the $15 museum entry fee a mere pittance for the joy that John Wayne has brought me in my lifetime. In addition to a variety of wardrobes that Duke wore in some of his most popular films, it also contains many personal effects. The most interesting John Wayne artifact I happened across, however, was his 1972 Pontiac Grand Safari.
I pored over the 455-powered wagon and marveled at its impeccable originality and what appeared to be its factory-applied Wilderness Green exterior finish. Like Wayne’s other Pontiacs, the ‘72 had been modified by legendary customizer George Barris, who said (as seen here) that raising the roof and increasing the door frames was required to easier accommodate Wayne’s stature. Beyond that, the interior is just as Pontiac assembled it.
Like his other Pontiac station wagons, John Wayne had customizer George Barris modify the roof of his ‘72 Grand Safari for easier entry and exit.
As I reveled at John Wayne’s Pontiac wagon and recalled the others he’d owned, I realized then that even though John Wayne may not have be a “car guy” as you or I might define it today, he was obviously in tune with Pontiac’s youthful, hipster image of that era. Of all the makes and vehicles that a megastar could afford to own and drive, the real John Wayne chose a Pontiac!
It was certainly a treat to visit the John Wayne Birthplace Museum and it’s a trip I know I’ll be making again soon with my son, Rocco, who is also a John Wayne fan in the making. I urge anyone traveling across I-80 to allow 60 to 90 minutes out of their day to visit the happy town of Winterset, Iowa and see the humble beginnings of a true American hero. In the very least, my experience truly humanized John Wayne, and knowing that he was a Pontiac man like me made it all the better.