Irv Gordon drove his Volvo 3 million miles, but was it the car or the driver that kept it running?

Irv Gordon holds the world record for the highest mileage car, clocking up a mind-blowing 5,230,781km (3,250,257 miles) in his Volvo P1800S. 

Gordon, who sadly passed away in 2018, drove the P1800S for 52 years, which means he averaged around 96,560km (60,000 miles) every single year. 

His incredible mileage was made all the more impressive due to the fact that it’s all personal use – Gordon didn’t drive for a living and was a middle-school teacher. 

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Irv Gordon was no ordinary driver

Gordon got off to a strong start with his car. He purchased the P1800 new in 1966 and managed to notch up 2,414 kilometers (1,500 miles) after just one week of ownership. 

Of course – as we know – he didn’t stop there. 

In fact, over the course of 52 years, Gordon and his Volvo traveled the equivalent of 14 trips to the moon. 

But to keep the car running as well – and for as long – as it did, Gordon stuck to some strict rules, including not eating or drinking in the car and never letting anyone else behind the wheel. 

He also kept up with the P1800S owner manual’s recommendations for maintenance. 

Gordon took such good care of the car that it didn’t need any repairs until it had 804,672km (500,000 miles) under its belt. 

While his P18000S appeared to be his enduring love, it wasn’t the only Volvo Gordon racked up the miles. 

He also had a 780 Bertone coupe that he drove for 724,204km (450,000 miles) and a C70 coupe that he put 209,214km (130,000 miles) on. 

But the Volvo P1800S was an impressive car

As there aren’t other Volvo P1800S that have managed similar numbers to Gordon’s – it’s easy to convince yourself that he must be the defining factor. 

But to give credit where it’s due, the car’s four-speed manual transmission managed to last the entire 52 years. 

Its engine had a rebuild at 1,086,307km (675,000 miles), but mechanics at Volvo said it wasn’t actually necessary.

It had another just before it hit 4,828,032km (3,000,000 miles). 

Although he holds the Guinness World Record, Gordon is not the only driver to rack up some seriously high mileage. 

A man from the US recently celebrated hitting 1,000,000 miles in his 2003 Honda Accord, which still had its original engine. 

Meanwhile, Toyota drivers who hit certain mile-milestones, starting at 150,000, can claim a special sticker to show off to other drivers.