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Million miles in a Ford Mondeo

LONDON, England - A driver and his Ford Mondeo taxi have reached an incredible milestone today - a million miles together.

Or, in metric terms, an amazing 1.6-million kilometres.

Brian Holmes, better known - according to the London Daily Mail - as Bernie of Bernie’s Airport Service, has been taking holidaymakers to and from Manchester airport in his red Ford Mondeo since he bought the vehicle for £14 000 on December 16, 1996.

'NOT MANY PROBLEMS...'

Now, 16 years later, he's made the 200km return journey around 8330 times and when the Mondeo Aspen Estate’s odo zeroed itself to 000000 its original 1.8-litre turbodiesel engine had travelled the equivalent of 40 times around the equator.

Holmes, 67, told the Mail: "When you buy a vehicle you don’t think too much about how long it will last. I’ve not had many problems with it, just wear and tear. Third gear went so I got a reconditioned one. I'd certainly buy another Ford but when I retire I'm hoping to buy a motorhome and do Scotland."

He's been driving cabs for 22 years after 23 years behind the wheel of tankers.

"I’ll have to do something to mark the occasion - I think I’ll have a drink with friends," he said.

Steve Humbles, product marketing manager for Ford of Britain, said: "Since the Mondeo was launched in 1993 it has proven a popular choice for retail and fleet customers alike, predominantly due to its reliability, fuel economy and smart driver assistance technologies.

"We're delighted to hear that Bernie has enjoyed a million miles of happy motoring in his."
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