US woman who drove her 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente for 570,000 miles and never had to pay for repairs got special visit once she stopped driving

An American woman who drove her 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente for over 570,000 miles, never once paying for repairs, received a special visit once she decided to stop driving.

Rachel Veitch picked up her 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente – affectionately named Chariot – for $3,289.

Over the years, she dutifully kept it in tip-top condition, until she decided she could no longer drive it.

It was at that point when she received a memorable visit which left her grinning from ear to ear.

After 50 years of driving this 1964 Mercury Comet, Rachel Veitch received a special visit

Growing Bolder, a new site dedicated to people ‘redefining the possibilities of life after 50’, broke the story of Veitch, who passed away in 2017, and her Chariot.

Nearly 50 years of ownership and 500,000 miles is an impressive testament to how much this Chariot was loved.

And thanks to Veitch’s foresight, she saved a small fortune on repairs by getting warranties on practically everything.

“This is the 5th Midas muffler with lifetime guarantee,” she told Growing Bolder as she showed off her warranties.

“I’ve had 7. This is the shocks warranty from Sears. I’ve had 3. This is the lifetime guarantee battery from Penny’s.”

It was a car that she cherished greatly, describing it as ‘the pumpkin that turned into the golden chariot’, and likening herself to Cinderella, Tampa Bay Times reported.

But all good things must come to an end.

In 2012, Veitch decided she was hanging up her keys, as her eyesight wasn’t what it used to be.

Despite the sad news, she put a positive spin on it.

“Everyone says they’re so sorry for me,” Veitch told Growing Bolder.

“Look, I don’t have cancer, I don’t have Lou Gehrig’s disease. I have one little spot that keeps me from driving, and I can accept that.”

The special gift that left Rachel with a big smile on her face

Once word got out about Veitch and her car, she received a special visit from Scott Monty, a Ford executive, who flew in from Detroit.

“When we first heard about Rachel, we thought what an amazing story,” Monty said.

“It just encapsulates the relationship so many people have with their vehicles, it’s an emotional connection.

“And we don’t know many more people who have such a strong connection as Rachel – a connection of nearly half a century.”

But it wasn’t just kind words that Monty came bearing.

He handed over an album to Veitch containing photos of her time with the car over the years.

Inside the album was a recorded message from then Ford CEO Alan Mulally.

“Hi Rachel, we are so honored you have been part of the Ford family for more than 48 years,” the message said.

“Congratulations on reaching 576,000 miles and thank you for sharing your journey with us.

“We love you. Rachel, Chariot, and Ford rock!”

As you’d expect, Veitch was left with a big smile across her face.

When she passed away in 2017, her Mercury Comet received a special mention in the obituary.

When someone racks up the miles on the car like this, it’s a real testament

A lot of people show their appreciation for their cars in different ways.

For some, it’s keeping the car in impeccable condition, while others customize it to the max.

But for many, keeping the car going for hundreds of thousands of miles is their own love language.

Some drivers put in some seriously impressive miles on their cars, like this Tesla owner who racked up more than one million on his Model S.

One Greek taxi driver racked up an astonishing 3 million miles over the course of 23 years, whilst a Canadian cabbie hit 1.6 million over 35 years.