A 1966 Volvo that keeps going and going
Source: Agencies |
July 10, 2012, Tuesday
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IT just keeps going, and going, and going. No, it's not a battery. It's Irvin Gordon's 1966 Volvo P1800S.
Gordon's small, red two-door has well more than 3.22 million kilometers on the odometer, the equivalent of nearly 1,176 times across the globe.
The retired schoolteacher from Long Island, New York, hopes to reach the 4.83 million kilometer mark by next year. He only has 54,717km to go.
The 72-year-old Gordon drives his Volvo everywhere. He has held the Guinness World Records mark for High Mileage Vehicle since 2002 and was the first person to hold that record.
"It's just a car I enjoy driving," he said.
He bought his beloved car on June 30, 1966, for US$4,150 at the age of 25. "It was a whole year's salary," he said.
Gordon originally wanted the convertible Volvo with air conditioning, but it was too expensive. He paid extra to have an AM/FM radio, though. "It was US$10 extra, and at that time, US$10 was a lot. But an AM/FM radio was a big deal," he said.
Gordon's car has just enough room for him and his essentials. His front bumper is filled with pins of his mileage achievements. Even his license plate says "MILNMILER." And his trunk overflows with the many car parts he thinks he might need when on the road. "I have a set of everything. If I have it, then I am not going to need it."
Volvo has sent Gordon to trips around the United States and the world to represent the carmaker at auto shows. "I don't think (just) any car could do it," said John Maloney, president and CEO of Volvo Cars of North America. "It is a combination of a car beloved by his owner that has gotten Irv to this mileage."
Gordon thinks that his Volvo will last way longer than 4,828,032km. "I have a feeling I'll be dead long before the car."
Gordon's small, red two-door has well more than 3.22 million kilometers on the odometer, the equivalent of nearly 1,176 times across the globe.
The retired schoolteacher from Long Island, New York, hopes to reach the 4.83 million kilometer mark by next year. He only has 54,717km to go.
The 72-year-old Gordon drives his Volvo everywhere. He has held the Guinness World Records mark for High Mileage Vehicle since 2002 and was the first person to hold that record.
"It's just a car I enjoy driving," he said.
He bought his beloved car on June 30, 1966, for US$4,150 at the age of 25. "It was a whole year's salary," he said.
Gordon originally wanted the convertible Volvo with air conditioning, but it was too expensive. He paid extra to have an AM/FM radio, though. "It was US$10 extra, and at that time, US$10 was a lot. But an AM/FM radio was a big deal," he said.
Gordon's car has just enough room for him and his essentials. His front bumper is filled with pins of his mileage achievements. Even his license plate says "MILNMILER." And his trunk overflows with the many car parts he thinks he might need when on the road. "I have a set of everything. If I have it, then I am not going to need it."
Volvo has sent Gordon to trips around the United States and the world to represent the carmaker at auto shows. "I don't think (just) any car could do it," said John Maloney, president and CEO of Volvo Cars of North America. "It is a combination of a car beloved by his owner that has gotten Irv to this mileage."
Gordon thinks that his Volvo will last way longer than 4,828,032km. "I have a feeling I'll be dead long before the car."
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