Guy Nears 3M Miles in 1966 Volvo

Irvin Gordon has just 34K miles to go
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jul 9, 2012 1:23 PM CDT
Updated Jul 9, 2012 1:39 PM CDT
Guy Nears 3M Miles in 1966 Volvo
Irv Gordon poses for a picture in his Volvo P1800 in Babylon, NY, Monday, July 2, 2012.   (Seth Wenig)

It just keeps going, and going, and going, and no, it's not a battery: It's Irvin Gordon's 1966 Volvo P1800S. Gordon's small, red two-door has well more than 2 million miles on the odometer, the equivalent of nearly 1,176 times around the globe. The retired schoolteacher from Long Island hopes to reach the 3 million-mile mark by next year—and he only has 34,000 miles to go. The 72-year-old bought the car in 1966 for $4,150, when he was 25, and has been taking it on road trips ever since.

It took him 21 years to reach the first million miles and 15 more years to reach 2 million. He averages 85,000 to 100,000 miles per year. Most of his trips are for auto shows, but he also takes trips across the country just for a good cup of coffee. The engine has been rebuilt twice, but is still original, and Gordon has held the Guinness World Records mark for High Mileage Vehicle since 2002 (he was the first person to hold that record). He thinks that his Volvo will last way longer than 3 million miles: "I have a feeling I'll be dead long before the car," he says. (More Irvin Gordon stories.)

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