Holt man reunited with picture of his old car

Bob Carr opened up his morning newspaper and there it was.

"I said, ‘That's my car!' It woke me up really quickly," Carr said.

Carr's 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix was solid white with a red interior and no air conditioning. It previously was owned by a man in the Navy who moved to the area from "somewhere up north." The Grand Prix had 10,000 miles on it when Carr bought it.

"It was my pride and joy," said Carr, 73. "All the girls loved it."

Carr, who lives in Holt, was shocked to see his Grand Prix on the front page of the June 30 Daily News illustrating a story about Okaloosa-Walton College. He said he's seen only one other photo he was certain was his car. It was in a restaurant and the owner wasn't particularly helpful in helping him get a copy, he said.

Now Carr and his car will be reunited, if only with a photo showing the Grand Prix parked on the street where he worked for Ruckel Properties.

Tom Rice, owner of Magnolia Grill in Fort Walton Beach, had provided the photo Carr saw to the Daily News and said he'll be happy to get Carr a copy of his own.

"Well, goodness," Carr said. "That's wonderful news."

A self-proclaimed car nut, Carr said he wasn't looking for a new vehicle when he bought the Grand Prix. He was about 29, just saw it and wanted it. The same thing happened with the automobile that replaced the '62. It was a red 1965 Pontiac convertible.
Carr said the ladies loved the convertible, as well.

These days, Carr cruises around in a 1999 Chevrolet Corvette he bought as a retirement present to himself. But he said he'd love to have his 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix back in his driveway.

"It was a special car to me."