Forty years ago on June 30th, Irv Gordon purchased a cherry red Volvo P1800 for $4,150, as his new car was not that reliable. Today Gordon says:
It was far and away the best $4,150 I’ve ever spent.
Why shouldn’t it be? Even after driving its first 250,000 miles in less than five years, the engine never failed on him and the car has never required a major repair.
The biggest recognition the car won was the ‘most miles driven by a single owner in a non-commercial vehicle’ certification he got from The Guinness Book of World Records in the mid 90’s.
Gordon and his car have been everywhere - from Long Island and even to Sweden, at Volvo’s headquarters to see where his P1800 was born - meeting with stars like Matt Lauer, Jon Stewart and Jay Leno.
On his Volvo’s 40th anniversary ownership, Gordon will celebrate it in his usual fashion - go to coffee shop, and hand out with neighbors. However, he has no plans to retire from his tiresome lifestyle even at the ripe age of 64. He shares:
I’ll keep on driving, but whether I drive three million miles is more up to me than it is the car. The car’s parts may be able to take it, but I’m not so sure about my own.
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