Remembering Preston Henn: 1931-2017

In the grand and glorious era of the IMSA Camel GT Series, the cars weren’t the only stars. Drivers – and in some cases, even the owners – were, too. Preston Henn was both, although he is remembered more for fielding cars than wheeling them, primarily during the 1980s.

But he is remembered. Make no mistake about that. Henn died Sunday at his Hillsboro Beach home in South Florida at the age of 86, leaving a multi-faceted legacy as an entrepreneur, self-promoter, self-made millionaire and a champion driver-owner in some of the world’s biggest sport car events.

The racing portion of that legacy was largely fashioned at Daytona International Speedway, in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Henn co-drove his Porsche 935 to a runner-up finish in 1980. In ’83 his 935L, with A.J. Foyt in the driver lineup, won the endurance classic; in ’84 the car finished second with a superstar trio of Foyt, Derek Bell and Bob Wollek co-driving.

In ’85 Henn assembled Foyt, Wollek, Thierry Boutsen and Al Unser to pilot a Porsche 962 to Victory Lane at Daytona. That was the famed “Swap Shop 962” backed by the successful T-Bird Swap Shop drive-in and flea market chain Henn had opened in South Florida in the 1960s. Henn’s car won the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring that year as well with a Foyt-Wollek combo.

In the process, it helped cement a special time in IMSA history when icons – both drivers and cars – were everywhere you looked, starting with the exotic 962s. Henn fielded one in the 1986 Twelve Hours of Sebring (pictured), co-driving with Foyt, Drake Olsen and the previous year’s Indy 500 winner, Danny Sullivan.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans has a role in Henn’s legacy as well. A Henn-owned Porsche 956 finished second there in 1984. Henn made five Le Mans starts as a driver, finished 10th in 1983.

Henn had transitioned from offshore powerboat racing to IMSA sports cars. After his racing days ended in the latter half of the 1980s, he concentrated on his business and on building his collection of some of the world’s rarest, most expensive Ferraris, which remain on display at the still-operative Swap Shop in Fort Lauderdale. The collection includes a 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale that raced at Le Mans, considered one of the most valuable Ferraris in the world.

In Henn’s will, it is stipulated that the Swap Shop will continue to operate and be run by his family for a minimum of 20 years.

The legacy continues.