The Ultimate Pontiac GTO Picture Site By Sean Mattingly. There's no bigger GTO image collection anywhere!
Last updated 12/15/06KELLOGG SCREEN-STAKES GTOs
written by Sean Mattingly, owner of The Ultimate GTO Picture Site at http://UltimateGTO.com As featured in GOATFINDER GTO CLASSIFIEDS February 1998, March 1998.
This is info on two of the 16 Kellogg's contest cars. The first
one described here was won by Leisa Hurley.
THEN ==== Imagine this: You're in 8th grade. You enter a contest on the back of a cereal box and win a car. That would be a kid's dream come true! It happened to Leisa Hurley way back in 1968. Leisa is awarded the keys by the dealer! Photocopy of the glossy which appeared in the newspaper In 1968, Leisa saw the contest described on the back of Rice Krispies picturing the Monkees, a popular singing group. Top prize was a brand new GTO convertible and an appearance on the Monkees TV show. There were 15 First Prizes of hardtop GTOs to be awarded as well. Magazine ad showing a GTO and The Monkees Leisa fills us in: I won the first prize, which was this car. I was only in the eighth grade. If you look carefully at (one of the magazine ads), you will notice that the convertible was only for the Grand Prize Winner, who also got to appear on the Monkees TV Show. The other 15 cars given away were hardtops. Framed cereal boxes I've located all of the memorabilia associated with my winning the car. I have the letter (dated June 10, 1968), informing me that my entry in their "TV Screen-Stakes" was among those chosen as a winner of a 1968 Pontiac GTO Hardtop. It is signed by R.L. Nichols, General Sales Manager and Vice President of Kellogg Sales Company. Congratulations letter from 1968 With the initial letter, came a form that called our attention to the "certain stipulations" listed in the rules. (I think it was regarding age requirements, and Federeal/State Gift Tax requirements). My Father signed the paper and returned it by June 24, 1968, as was requested by the original letter. The Kellogg Company was then to make arrangements with GM Corp for delivery. I have a second letter, dated July 2, 1968, stating that they had received the signed certificate and had turned them over to the Pontiac Company. The Pontiac Company was then to notify the local Pontiac dealer, who would then contact us and process the necessary paperwork for ordering. The letter also listed the features of the car I won. It is signed by D.H. Keaton, Assistant to the Advertising Manager. July letter from Kellogg's By the time we heard from the San Jose dealer (All-American Pontiac), the 1969 models were due out, so they allowed my Father to order a 1969 with any of the features he desired, giving him credit for the (1968) car features I actually won. So my Father converted the souped up version I actually won to this version which was more functional for our family. My Father was not a "Hot Rod" type, so he ordered a more economical family type car. Since my Mother was to be the principal driver, she wanted air con- ditioning and automatic transmission. Hence, the car I got has the features that were cited in the letter from Mike Davis of All- American Pontiac. (It also has a list of the equipment awarded for comparison). It was given to my Father when he placed his order. Handwritten letter from the dealer What Miss Hurley ended up with was a Verdoro Green hardtop with gold interior, automatic transmission, 400 cid engine, and other options. The firewall data plate reads: BODY BY FISHER ST 69 - 24237 BF 00234 BDY TR 252 B80 73 73 PNT 022656 120459 The VIN number is 242379Z100894 NOW === The Kellogg car was driven for many years, then was left sitting in California in about 1980. By the late 1990's, the GTO was non-running because it had been parked for 20 years. Of course, Miss Hurley (now Mrs. Richardson) is the original owner. She says the car has all original parts. Mrs. Richardson says: I also have all the original literature that came with the car - even the Victor Tag that came on the keys!! The Mileage is 95,406. It was rebuilt around 90,000. Interior is in excellent condition - one small split in seat of drivers side bucket, and shelf covering behind back seat is rippled. Smells somewhat musty. Exterior easily restorable. Paint is oxidized, but buffable. Paint has small chips above left rear wheel well where snow chain broke which has rusted. Trunk, below lock has a 6" line of chips that has rusted. Minor damage to right front bumper/parking lamp area. Here are some photos of the car while Leisa still had it... Leisa's shiny GTO on a trailer Look through the windshield into interior Top left view over hood Look through back window AN UPDATE added 5/99... Mrs. Richardson sold this valuable piece of history in March 1999. The asking price was $5,500. She gives us this update... "I placed an ad in the local paper and sold the car to a man from Southern California who was up for vacation. I sold it for $4500. (He) had never heard of the contest by Kelloggs. If you want to keep track of the car, it was sold to: Todd Harding, Sylmar, CA. Thanks for all your help and information. - Leisa K. Richardson (imrich@vibetech.com)"AN UPDATE ADDED 7/00...
AN UPDATE ADDED 4/01...
Herb Dierking had the car for sale. He sent some pictures:
Front view
Right front
Interior as seen
from the left
Interior as seen
from the right
Herb says the car has an entirely new brake system, plus a freshened-up
engine which now has hardened valve seats so it can run unleaded pump gas.
The car comes with an extra complete engine and all of the original paperwork
that define this as a special car. Herb eventually sold the car.
Herb's email address is herbster@sega.net and his phone number is (714)
663-8227.
AN UPDATE ADDED 2005...
The Hurley car was featured in the April 2005 issue of Pontiac Enthusiast
Magazine. The cover reads “FOUND! 1 of 15 GTO HARDTOP CEREAL
CONTEST WINNERS.” The spread within the magazine says "There's a
GTO in my cereal!".
AN UPDATE ADDED April, 2006...
The car was seen on ebay, listed by a John Lind at a Jaguar dealership
in Sarasota, Florida. There was only one bid of $18,000 and the reserve
was not met at that price. The auction closed on April 29th, 2006.
AN UPDATE ADDED 12/06...
The car is for sale at Universal Auto Sales and Classic Cars in Linthicum,
Maryland at their indoor showroom. The car is listed for sale at
$35,900. The company's website is http://www.universalautosalesandclassiccars.com
AN UPDATE ADDED 12/06...
The car will be up for bids yet again. On January 25th-27th,
2007 it will be among 302 other cars at the Mecum High Performance Auction
in Kissimmee, Florida. The auction website is www.mecumauction.com
John Ulrich (gtonut@ptd.net) says: "I also own a similar piece of
history - I am the second owner of a well documented car that is also a
1969. My car was won under similar circumstances - a 13 year old entered
the sweepstakes on a Raisin Bran box, could not get the '68 delivered,
and then went to the '69. Reportedly, the winner's car was to be a loaded
Ram Air II car, with the runnerups to be a "stripper" Ram Air II. If you
check the historical time, there was a major problem late in the '68 model
year with the '68 RAII heads, which caused many cars to be delayed till
'69. What most people did not realize was the "square/round" port differences
between the RA II and RA III cars (among other things) and the cars were
not a better-faster GTO. Too bad for the people who did not know at the
time.
I have owned my car for 12 years, am the second owner, and have
the car under a full restoration at this time. It is blue with a white
interior and is very plain - no options other than the RAIII engine and
minor stuff, Car has manual steering/brakes, etc. Car was in #3 condition
with 72K and was driven about 1000 miles since I owned it. Great car, great
history!"
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