"Thanks, Oprah," Heather Lundeen, of Bismarck, said as she sat in the new Pontiac she won on the "Oprah Winfrey Show."

After waiting for four months, Lundeen finally got to take home her fully loaded silver Pontiac G6GT. She and 275 other unsuspecting audience members each was given a car on the season premiere of the show on Sept. 9, 2004.

This is the first time she's had a new car.

"I'm so excited, I plan to keep the car and drive it forever," Lundeen said. "I'll never have a new car with all of these features ever again."

Schwan Pontiac GMC on Memorial Highway in Mandan had the car waiting for her in the showroom with a massive red bow on the windshield. Pontiac donated all of the cars to Winfrey's show, all features included.

Lundeen, who chose all the features she wanted, said the leather seat warmers are very important to have in North Dakota. Other features include one year of OnStar service, chrome wheels, adjustable foot pedals, steering wheel controllers, six-disc CD changer, four-panel panoramic roof and power everything.

The car did come with a price tag because the Lundeens do have to pay taxes on the car, valued at $24,000. However, Heather Lundeen didn't care and plans to somehow fit the words, "Thanks Oprah" onto personalized license plates.

Husband Chris said that he is still a little jealous for not going with his wife to the Oprah show that day.

As for Heather Lundeen's opinion, "It must have been fate."

(Reporter Kayla Cogdill can be reached at 250-8251 or kaylacogdill@bismarcktribune.net.)