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Epic road trip: Volvo hits 4.8m km

<b>RECORD-BREAKING ROAD TRIP:</b> Irvin Gordon’s trusty 1966 Volvo P1800S has covered a record-breaking number of kilometers over 47 years. Could you imagine racking up 4.8 million km in your car?
<b>RECORD-BREAKING ROAD TRIP:</b> Irvin Gordon’s trusty 1966 Volvo P1800S has covered a record-breaking number of kilometers over 47 years. Could you imagine racking up 4.8 million km in your car?
While your family drones along a 500km holiday journey to Knysna or Hartbeespoort, spare a thought for Irvin Gordon who's racked up nearly five-million kilometres on his travels.

In September 2013, Irvin Gordon, a retired schoolteacher from Long Island, achieved his goal of three-million miles (4.8-million km) in his trusty 1966 Volvo P1800S.

With a 201km daily commute, a fanatical dedication to vehicle maintenance, and a passion for driving, Gordon logged 804 672km in 11 years.

RECORD ROAD TRIP

Gordon (72) has held the Guinness World Record for High-Mileage Vehicles since 2002 and was the first person to earn the record.

Gordon said: "Everyone asks, what's next? Well, I'll keep driving my Volvo P1800 to auto shows and taking trips across the country. Not much will change. But whether I drive four million miles is more up to me than it is the car. The car may be able to take it, but I'm not so sure about me."

He bought his car on June 30, 1966 for $4150 at the age of 25 and commented: "It was a whole year's salary."

He said he couldn’t stop driving the car. He bought it over a holiday weekend and by the following Monday he already had to take the car in for a service.

The car still has its original engine, though it has been rebuilt twice.

Gordon said: “It has not really been about just getting to the three million miles; it’s more about the trips that got me to there and what I have experienced getting there.

“I never had a goal to get to a million, to two million. I just enjoyed driving and experiencing life through my Volvo."q

It took him 21 years to reach the first million km and 15 more to reach two million. He averages between 136 000 and 160 000km a year. Most of his trips are to auto shows but he also takes trips across country.

Have YOU done an unusually long, difficult, interesting, outrageous, fun, family or off-road trip. Tell us about it (and send some pix) and we'll publish it on Wheels24.




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