Vern Hallgren knew the first owner of his 1969 Buick very well because she was the grandmother of one of his good friends.
Vern had visited his buddy’s grandmother’s house many times over the years and had first seen the Buick when she initially purchased the car.
It never dawned on Vern all those years ago that he might end up as the third owner of the car, but that is how it worked out for him.
Grandma contacted Vern’s buddy back in ’69 when they were both in high school and invited them over for lunch.
The lunch invitation was actually her opportunity to show her grandson the brand new Buick and Vern was there for the golden moment along with a bonus home-cooked meal from the his buddy’s grandmother.This car is factory right down to the dealer’s name.
The car was not driven much over the years and eventually she passed away, but not before she willed the car to her beloved grandson. He kept the car until about 14 years ago when he offered to sell the Buick to Vern because Vern had always liked the car and his buddy’s grandmother.
The car is a completely original survivor car and only has 34,000 miles on it. Vern respects its heritage and has kept the car in the same condition as the original owner, a woman he really liked and respected from the early days in his life.
The Buick is a sporty looking car and it has its original factory V-8 in it; a noteworthy fact because Vern’s buddy is a serious hot-rodder who liked to make cars go much faster than factory specs. The fact that the Buick was left in its original form was a testimony to the bond Vern’s buddy had with his grandmother.
Vern has also been pretty easy on the car during his time as the current custodian of Granny’s wheels. He has not put a large number of miles on the car, but he does get the Buick out enough to ensure it does not just sit unused year after year.
Every time behind the wheel is special for Vern because of the fond memories he has about its past owners. He likes to remember the first time he saw the car and why it means so much for him to now own the Buick because, for Vern, it is a privilege to own a legacy car linked to a good buddy and his grandmother.
Vern is a good guy and would be more than happy to let his buddy drive the car if he ever wants to relive some golden memories about his grandmother’s Buick.
He knew the Buick would be in good hands when he sold it to Vern and he was right.
Jim Sutherland