In the mid 1960's I was employed as a bellman at the Hotel Del Charro in La Jolla, California. Mr. Wayne, his wife Pilar and their young son would spend part of their summer in one of the Del Charro's bungalows while the senior Wayne would attend multiple visits to the local Scripps Hospital for extensive checkups for his cancer condition. The family would usually drive down in the huge Pontiac station wagon which Mrs. Wayne would use during the daytime shopping chores. That left the hotel staff responsible for getting Mr. Wayne to the doctor's with one of the hotel station wagons which was usually drivin by myself. One summer day both station wagons and the Pontiac were tied up so I gave Mr. Wayne a ride over to Scripps in my personal car: an Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1300 cc sports car. I took the top down so that Mr. Wayne would have better ease of entry; which turned out to be a good idea since nearly the whole upper half of his form stood up outside the body of the rather small vehicle. There we were, me and actor John Wayne jetting up Torrey Pines Road in my Alfa complete with long stares from passers by. The Italian Racing Red sports car drew a modicum of attention as well. The always gracious Mr. Wayne said he enjoyed the short trip. The family of three would often enjoy their meals in the Del Charro dinning room or poolside where they were often approached by fans happening to be coincidentally on the scene. Mr. Wayne was surprisingly tolerant and always friendly to these people. As one can partially discern from the above text; I would never find the occasion where I would be comfortable calling Mr. Wayne by his first name or any such colloquial appellation as "Duke." Color televisions were a bundle of problems in the mid-1960's and I would often be called to tune the Wayne family's television in their bungalow. Their summer vacation and physical checkups over; hotel personnel including myself would pack up the huge Pontiac station wagon and they would be off until next summer at check-up time.
@radsk8rbigollies5948 ай бұрын
That's a great story! Thanks for sharing . The imagery of the Duke in an alfa made me smile
@panders558 ай бұрын
Great story, hang onto your memories.
@tmmyjay8 ай бұрын
That's a great story. You are so fortunate to have the experience.
@carlc57488 ай бұрын
Loved reading your story, thanks for sharing it here. About 15 years ago I was eating at a Golden Corral restaurant, in Gilbert, Az. I struck up a conversation with a gentleman, sitting at the table next to me. After talking together for about 30 minutes, he turned to me and said, "I'm one of John Wayne's bastard children". I immediately replied, "I believe you, you look just like him". He said that he only saw his dad 4 times, growing up, and that he was a bad kid, as a youngster. He told me "I've won 5, or 6 bets for $500, each time, when I told people this, and I proved it by having my dad's driver's license, and his birth certificate. His last name was Merriweather, and he gave me his phone number, and like a dummy, i misplaced it. He said that our conversation together was one of the best talks that he had had, in quite a while.
@tmmyjay8 ай бұрын
I bet Duke nailed her in the back of the Pontiac.@@carlc5748
@garyquail49968 ай бұрын
I never knew John Wayne ever had a car collection until now thanks for the video.
@randycalkins63618 ай бұрын
Nobody more Badass than "The Duke". What a Fantastic Collection".
@beeenn6497 ай бұрын
"If you want that gun, pick it up, I wish you would." Total bad ass.
@dennisgoodnight20298 ай бұрын
Loved the firebird he drove in McQ.
@ronwallace62738 ай бұрын
I seen John Wayne coming out of a diner me and my dad we almost crashed we couldn't believe it , we went around block and parked said hi and my didnt want to bother him other than saying hi . he drove away in a wood grained station wagon , he will always be a hero of ours I hope my dad is talking to him in heaven
@Super-ew1ty8 ай бұрын
If you ever drove those old wagons you'd know why he liked them. They rode like you was floating on air! I mean nothing made like it since.
@choppergirl7 ай бұрын
I nailed some wheels to a couch someone threw out on the curb, and it rides pretty much the same. So yeah, I made that, and it was only last Tuesday.
@snoopydoo65047 ай бұрын
I got the KIDS Dream of a lifetime, I got to meet him and shake his hand as a kid, He and his Grandson landed in the parking lot of Knotts Berry Farm in a helicopter, they came to be the first ones to ride the “New” Log Ride. My Grandma got me up to meet him, we watched them be the first to ride the Log ride, and then we rode it after them. Knotts Berry farm then opened the John Wayne Theatre and I watched many of his movies there, and loved seeing his costumes on display from the movies. What a great childhood dream!! Later in life, it turns out my father in law met him, when he came on a hunting trip to Montana, and he had helped with that hunt. What a small world.
@snoopydoo65047 ай бұрын
PS, the first movie I ever say in a theatre, was a John Wayne movie. And the first time I ever rode in an airplane, was from the Orange County Airport, now known as the John Wayne Airport. Knotts Berry farm and Disneyland was a part of my family life as a child. My parents were married at Knotts Berry Farm, I was born in Anaheim and my grandparents house was two blocks from Disneyland, and they lived there before Disneyland was built. My mom and aunt worked at Disneyland on their summer vacations, and if I was a good boy that day, Grandma would take me out at 9pm to sit on the electrical box by the curb to watch the Fireworks from Disneyland. Back then they would have special days for things like “Security Pacific Bank” days, where family members would get a wristband to ride all the rides you wanted, (didn’t need your ticket book, where they got the “”E”” ticket ride from), and at 5pm everyone without a wristband would have to leave and we with the wristbands had free reign of the park. My mom and aunt knew the original mouse a tiers. Southern California was a different place back then.
@Michael-c8x7n8 ай бұрын
Loved all his movies I never knew he had a car collection
@robertstreff69458 ай бұрын
I didn't know that John Wayne had a car collection. They always said that he was very family oriented. The station wagon 's show it. Thanks for the video.
@bobgauthier15697 ай бұрын
When I moved to Iowa, I went to see his museum. It was awesome.
@tazmod72728 ай бұрын
Dad was in the Navy so we traveled from one location to another. During that time we had station wagons. The last one was a ‘62 Buick Invicta with the 445 Wildcat engine and automatic. That was the car I used to learned to drive.
@robert-oq9jq8 ай бұрын
The Duke wasn't going to get squashed in some little sports car he liked them big Pontiac sleds with all the horsepower he could get, it was also cool how he put the custom rims and rubber on them he was way ahead of his time there
@Porsche996driver7 ай бұрын
I’d visit my dad’s family in Pittsburgh as a kid as they all had GM cars ha. My favorite aunt got a new “Grand Safari” every year! Super fond memories of riding in the flat back area all sprawled out with blankets, snacks, and toys ha. I’ve been a “wagon guy” ever since and I still despise SUVs lol.
@KRAVER_8 ай бұрын
John Wayne making $50 million in his film career pre 1980 is crazy money back then. my father and grandfather were huge Duke fans. I remember watching all those films as a kid over and over in the 80's. was a good time. miss my grandfather a lot, and miss watching old westerns with him. Sparks Motor Co. and Robbie Layton just did a clone of his bronco last year for a giveaway. Both are a good series to watch on YT
@johnmohanmusic8 ай бұрын
At 2:37 "TH400" (Turbo-Hydramatic 400) is the transmission model, not the engine model. And the engine was NOT just 180 horsepower. In 1970 the 400 Cubic Inch engine was rated at 340 (Gross) horsepower and the 455 was even more powerful.
@rgs4x8 ай бұрын
We use to live in Newport and would see Wayne driving the wagon around town.
@KMC28698 ай бұрын
Love the John Wayne westerns -
@larryaldrich43518 ай бұрын
Duke would of had low tolerance for the current EV craze, you bet.
@RonNorman-qu4qz8 ай бұрын
John Wayne is awesome one of the best actors in the business God bless him. One of my favorites was the sons of Katie elder.
@scottschwebke42698 ай бұрын
In the seventy’s my wife met the duke and she got her pitcher taken with him and also his Good luck John Wayne autograph at his 26 bar ranch which we just saw on recent trip to Arizona. There was a cattle auction there that day and when word got out that he was seen taking a photo with my wife people flocked over to him and pushed kids out of the way to get to him. That made him upset and he said he would only sign autographs for the children! She was only 10 years old at the time but just remembers how big he was.
@morthedgebuckle2277 ай бұрын
The Duke had a thing for Pontiac wagons.
@sombra61538 ай бұрын
I didn’t know the Duke had a penchant for Pontiac wagon. I thought I’d once heard that Bill a Ruger had ventured into a 427 Ford-powered sports car and Wayne bought one. Incidentally, since at least the 70s, us car aficionados referred to the Turbo Hydramatic 350 and 400s as “Turbo” 350# or 400s, not “tee hache.” But the video was interesting. Never new he had a 53 Vette either.
@morrispartow7598 ай бұрын
I think you can say He rounded up the wagons.
@melmortimer15458 ай бұрын
Yes old marion Ramsey really did round up the wagons ...very very overated actor ..when I see him try to act ..he always comes across as a bully and very arrogant...that's the sense I got with him..
@tommywatterson52768 ай бұрын
The Duke liked those full size Pontiac wagons apparently. I didn't know he kept them in a collection.
@jordandickerson40697 ай бұрын
I can just picture The Duke, Cruising down the Highway at 140mph with a Big Cowboy Hat and big Smile.
@blueduck94098 ай бұрын
Wow Duke really liked his grand safaris. The old station wagon was the begining of the modern suv.
@VinceBearinger8 ай бұрын
Very cool. I used to own a nineteen seventy five international travel with a 392 4 barrel It had the same roll down window in the back I love that truck
@RW_TractorPilot8 ай бұрын
The War Wagon used to be kept in Don Laughlin's Car Museum at the Riverside Resort and Casino in Laughlin Nevada . Been years since I have been there , but I have seen it there . Don passed away about a year ago but the War Wagon might still be there .
@SammySnead8 ай бұрын
Who would have thought Wayne was a station wagon guy.
@cybervision_18 ай бұрын
Duke would of had low tolerance for the current president, you bet.
@whdbnrm30238 ай бұрын
Or the EV mandate
@melmortimer15458 ай бұрын
He hated everyone non American...very sad ...and arrogant man...Don't like his films .or him... And he didn't like Clint east wood apparently...I say he was just jealous of real acting talent ..and screen charisma..
@ronwallace62738 ай бұрын
I bet he wouldn't like trump either
@cybervision_18 ай бұрын
@@ronwallace6273 Trump is proud of America and wants to keep it a country to be proud of, John Wayne was also.
@ronwallace62737 ай бұрын
and trump
@toddaulner53938 ай бұрын
Love the Warwagon!
@paulbourgeois44918 ай бұрын
Love it too, especially because it was 4wd and had a clutch AND power take off for the winch! War Wagon Indeed!
@beeenn6497 ай бұрын
"If you want that gun, pick it up, I wish you would." Total bad ass.
@bhartley8686 ай бұрын
The Duke was a decent guy and it took a lot of cancer to finally get him but he lived , he actually lived a full life and enjoyed it for the full ride...
@bradfordbarrettluckotheIrish8 ай бұрын
Great story
@nighthiker88728 ай бұрын
Well done and great, shows me he was a smart thinker!
@chrisyarbrough7858 ай бұрын
I remember the one with the landau roof and the one with the raised green glass windows.I saw him quite a few times at south Coast plaza
@rolfagten8578 ай бұрын
The Duke and his wheels. I missed the Dodge WC 52 from John's estate.
@hatbpto51808 ай бұрын
Dang, that thumbnail! I can see why my dad and uncle were often mistaken for John Wayne, they looked almost exactly like him.
@williameckert66527 ай бұрын
John Wayne the last of the Great American Heroes he was true to the American way
@j.d.jdthinktankersorg.asa.42378 ай бұрын
he had class....
@RonaldReed-ul9du8 ай бұрын
I saw a short video clip of John Wayne pulling out of the Lot, he wasn't in a Pontiac Wagon but rather it was a Beige colored Ford Wagon, no raised roof. The window was rolled down and he looked over at the guy with the Camera and said Hi and pulled out onto the Road, he did not have his hair piece on so I asked my mother to help me research about him being half bald and she found a lot of information about his hair piece. He had to problem being seen without it and even joked once, he has hair but he wasn't born with it and bought it.
@Chicken_Wing914 ай бұрын
I love how the station wagon had “wagon wheel” rims
@CatScratch2448 ай бұрын
Pretty cool
@patstevens29598 ай бұрын
Definitely a car guy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@KM-qx6nh8 ай бұрын
Yep……. The Duke had a thing for road tanks !
@haroldbirge68818 ай бұрын
My mom used to say that was her boyfriend 👀 mom and dad would have a 🍀good laugh 😄✌️
@paulbourgeois44918 ай бұрын
Simpler times, weren't they?
@haroldbirge68818 ай бұрын
@@paulbourgeois4491 🏆 absolutely👀 I need a 🍀time machine 😎✌️
@fredboat8 ай бұрын
Thanks, Enjoyed.
@enriquecasiano79218 ай бұрын
I love station wagons, is like owning a mule went you have horses , they was better the a truck
@wilfridBAUCHET8 ай бұрын
bonjour magnifique vidéo superbe collection de voitures cela correspond totalement a la l'acteur et la légende de géant qu'il a laissait derrière lui merci de se partage cordialement
@newlam79587 ай бұрын
For 4 generations, our family have only bought American made cars. My great grandfathers first car was a 1909 Maxwell.
@Gunny426HemiPlymouth7 ай бұрын
Wayne was a big wagon man? Hell yeah
@gerardtrigo3808 ай бұрын
He also owned several Jeeps and Ford Pickups. I guess these wre considered working vehicles on his ranch and not personal vehicles.
@williamwilke19444 ай бұрын
Election night, November 1964, fellow friends of the Teen Age Republicans, witnessed John Wayne and his elevated roof Vista Cruiser. He got out of the beast with his hat on. He strolled into the Jolley Roger Restaurant for dinner in the location across from Disneyland. He was alone. We stayed outside for a while gawking at that station wagon. Later in the restaurant bar The Duke would acknowledge us as we sat at the end of the bar watching election results. He raised his glass of whiskey and said "Man up boys. There's work to do". Those words are from a movie scene. Just remembering the man, the car and the quote.
@miltonturner29778 ай бұрын
I had a friend in the 60's who had inherited, from his Father, a 1953 Corvette just like John Wayne's. The serial number of that car ended in 0003., the third one built. I heard that serial 0001 was in the GM Museum and 0002 was sold to a movie star, can't remember the name.
@Formerlywarmer8 ай бұрын
Nice!
@JJJBRICE8 ай бұрын
I take it that Mr. Wayne did not like foreign cars .
@orlandoariel62458 ай бұрын
Que lindos autos.... Quien iba a imaginar que tenga tantos, siempre se lo veía a caballo al hombre. Saludos !
@cryingdemocrats14608 ай бұрын
Loved the story of an American hero..
@sharpenflat60026 ай бұрын
I loved John Wayne on Mr. Rodgers.
@Dwayne-mb2uj8 ай бұрын
My Father in Law was an LACSD Deputy and when ever John Wayne went to Catilina Island My Father in Law would be a body guard by way of going on walks with his Police Dog and even played cards with him on his converted mine sweeper boar. There are no cars allowed on Catilina Island on golf carts.
@Eric-s6b8 ай бұрын
He was a rancher actor good family man loved cars
@Scott-ri2sy2 ай бұрын
the Duke loved his cars
@stevearmstrong45617 ай бұрын
The TH-400 was the transmission powered by a big block 400 CI engine. Nice!!
@skaldlouiscyphre24538 ай бұрын
MDC knew what was up with John Wayne.
@bobace12708 ай бұрын
Where is his REO speedwagon from the Big Jake movie? Back in the 70's it was at the Carney restoration shop in Rolla Missouri. Carneys was part of Memoryville USA museum. They also restored a 1917 Federal truck for the Duke.
@James-ik8yz8 ай бұрын
Many travelAlls...had a Diesel. I have one. .
@JoshOwings-ih2ob8 ай бұрын
True American he loved his country
@mikeweizer31498 ай бұрын
Thought I heard once that he had a pretty rare 1966 Oldsmobile Starfire, Anone know for sure,?
@JohnSmith-cf4gn8 ай бұрын
So he was a GM man. I've always preferred Fords myself.
@sergeantmasson36698 ай бұрын
@JohnSmith-cf4gn, same here. No Ford, or MOPAR, ever left me stranded. Every GM I ever owned did.
@JohnSmith-cf4gn8 ай бұрын
@sergeantmasson3669 Yea, I've had a few Chrysler products too and I think that Chrysler had better engineering than Ford or GM.
@sergeantmasson36698 ай бұрын
@@JohnSmith-cf4gnI highly disagree. How many owners has Chrysler had in their history? Chrysler also got a bailout whereas Ford didn't need/want one. Barfbag Odumbass sold off the GM and Chrysler bailouts in 2014 at a $13.5 billion loss.
@rogerdodrill47338 ай бұрын
@@sergeantmasson3669thats odd only fords & Mopar abandoned me
@paulhoffman7788 ай бұрын
I will go with Fords, and I will refer you to my 96 F-150 at 28 years of age she's on the road and looking good.
@user-ny2qt9dz8v7 ай бұрын
I think John Wayne died when I was 11 years old I'm 54 now how come they didn't have this on KZbin 20years ago
@MartyInLa7 ай бұрын
The Duke really must of had some juice to get a 4-speed sutomatic in a Cadillac in 1959!
@oldfarmshow8 ай бұрын
👍
@KevinHudson-q7i8 ай бұрын
Thought he would've collected horse's instead of cars 🐎🦄
@steelman868 ай бұрын
Pretty funny talking about a 59 caddy and its 0-60 speed and in the last photos, it's actually a 1960 cad speeding by!! Now that's FAST TO GAIN A YEAR IN SPEED,! LOL
@mtbalpinecounty8 ай бұрын
💪
@juansaladzar8 ай бұрын
Tasteful is a matter of opinion brah 😐
@SAM-dm5qg8 ай бұрын
All Beautiful Cars. ❤ 🇺🇸 But How Many Cars Does a Person Really Need? 👀 🤔
@PawpawRic8 ай бұрын
How many do you have?🤔
@jnywd84508 ай бұрын
All of them. 🚕🚙🚗🚚🛵🛴
@MichaelNiemiec-ft3yv8 ай бұрын
@sam, you sound like one of my EX girlfriends,asking how many cars does one person need. That's why she is EX!
@rogerdodrill47338 ай бұрын
About 30 if u have the room
@gerry-p9x8 ай бұрын
Ask Jay. Leno
@chadsimmons63477 ай бұрын
Let's see his old Horse collection
@RickLazarczyk5 ай бұрын
Superheroes
@JacobBarbee-jf4fy3 ай бұрын
Fabric seats are alot less hot when you hop in after the cars been outside.
@Andrew-bb3lc6 ай бұрын
The big Pontiac wagons were made between 1971 to 1976, not 1978. GM downsized their large cars including wagon for the 1977 model year.
@georgeOswald-j6o8 ай бұрын
what about the cars he owned from 1940's thru 1960's if any he died in 1979 i think
@MrMisanthrope1RBjr8 ай бұрын
pontiacs with oldsmobile roofs
@IowaBudgetRCBashers8 ай бұрын
The 76 grand safari is an a body. It’s lemans based
@1paulgood8 ай бұрын
Did he have a “collection” or is this just the cars he owned throughout his life?
@twizz4208 ай бұрын
John Wayne never hunted antelope from a 1966 IH Travelall lol... Definitely not in the US. A pronghorn is not an antelope. It's just called the "american antelope" because it looks like an antelope.
@oldb-1kenobi7 ай бұрын
Hank Hill would approve, I tell you what.
@davedesoto34347 ай бұрын
he had the original family trucsters
@schallrd17 ай бұрын
I thought he only rode a horse 🐎
@jimedge83013 ай бұрын
Funny , I'm sure that red 59 Cadillac was in front of Graceland 🤔 can you say Elvis
@nancyericson42638 ай бұрын
Wagons ho!
@torcik8 ай бұрын
John Wayne was the GREATEST war hero of WW2. He volunteered for the Flying Tigers. He built landing strips with seabees.He fought in the Philippines on a PT boat. He landed on the first wave at Iwo Jima. He commanded a Submarine, USS Thunderfish. He was a Marine corp aviator. Landed on the first wave on D-Day. Served in the Green berets in Nam.
@sergeantmasson36698 ай бұрын
@torcik, all FALSE. John Wayne never served in the US military. He was denied when he tried to serve because of his age and his young children.
@sergeantmasson36698 ай бұрын
@@williamglendye1692 Totally FALSE.
@thomasgirty63978 ай бұрын
he landed on IWO in one of those Pontiac tanks. game over.
@karenhill39708 ай бұрын
@@williamglendye1692don't say that about Me Wayne ...don't ...a great American patriot🇺🇸
@billywatson1188 ай бұрын
😂@@thomasgirty6397
@Fred-wy4ix8 ай бұрын
Cyber visionbritney. Mr. Wayne has been deceased approximately 45 years, how would you know that? (Just asking) 45 years ago, Jimmy Carter was The President at the time of Mr. Wayne's death. Now I agree, The Former President Carter wasn't all that great, jow can you claim that President Biden wouldn't be approved of by Mr Wayne? No one knows that only Mr Wayne and that would only be known by the rest of us if only he would disclose that. How old were you then in 1979?
@deandee80828 ай бұрын
50 million form then is like 50 billion today..
@peterhogan95376 ай бұрын
too bad he didn;t keep the bruster green 73 trans am from the movie Mc,Q.
@MidnightinSavannah3 ай бұрын
A 1970 Pontiac Bonneville would have had a 360 hp 455 not a 180 hp engine.
@TheVanneo8 ай бұрын
It's Duke, not the Duke
@KrispyCrem37 ай бұрын
weird taste in cars
@robertheck67478 ай бұрын
Who cares. I could care less about what car John wimp drove. People keep saying he's some kind of a national hero. I don't understand. He was an actor who made a damn good living acting like a tough guy. Never served in the military. Now if you want to call someone a hero, look at Charles Bronson. He started out as a coal miner in Pennsylvania, then served in the military. Where he proved to be a real hero. I'm sorry if anyone is offended, but I can't call someone who played a tough guy in make-believe Hollywood, a hero.
@mickangio168 ай бұрын
So, the only cool car he owned was a '59 Caddy? Maan, all the cool cars he COULD have had! Maybe you should have shown his horse collection.