Today's News by Jack Nerad for Driving Today

Volvo P1800 Shoots for 3 Million Miles

Friday, July 30, 2010

If happiness is liking what you have, Irv Gordon, the driver of the highest mileage vehicle on the road, must be the happiest guy on Earth.

Gordon, a retired science teacher from East Patchogue, N.Y., purchased his Volvo in June 1966, and immediately fell in love with the car, driving 1,500 miles in the first 48 hours he owned it. With a 125-mile round-trip daily commute, a fanatical dedication to vehicle maintenance and a passion for driving, Gordon logged 500,000 miles in 10 years. Now after recently reaching his 70th birthday, he has vowed to reach 3 million miles, setting a record that might never be broken. 

He’s used to setting records. In 1998 with 1.69 million miles on his trusty Volvo, he made the Guinness Book of World Records for most miles driven by a single owner in a non-commercial vehicle. In 2002, he drove the car’s 2-millionth mile in Times Square, to national and international media attention. Today, Gordon breaks his own record every time he drives, whether it’s to Cincinnati for coffee; Rolla, Mo., for lunch; or Green River, Wyo., for dinner. (Gordon not only likes to drive; he also likes to eat.)

“Three million miles by my 73rd birthday sounds right,” said Gordon. “But whether I reach that mark is more up to me than to the car. The car’s parts have long proven they can take it, but I’m not so sure about my own. Either way, it will be a fantastic testament to the engineering genius of Volvo as well as to the resiliency of folks my age. Three million miles is an ironclad number that I’d like to think sits right up there with [Joe] DiMaggio’s consecutive game-hitting streak. Who’s going to beat that? No one.”

Gordon is unsure what to do with his Volvo after 3 million miles, though he has considered selling it. But he says he won’t sell it for anything less than 1 dollar per mile he’s driven. Which means he’ll probably be keeping it for a while.

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