Seventy-four-year-old retired science teacher Irv Gordon has reached a milestone no other individual has accomplished in more than 100 years of automobile manufacturing: driving three million miles in the same vehicle – a shiny, cherry red 1966 Volvo P1800.
Gordon notched up his three millionth mile on the Seward Highway – Alaska Highway 1 – along the Turnagain Arm. The “Last Frontier” is one of two US states Gordon has never visited and a fitting backdrop for his record-breaking achievement.
“It’s not about getting to the three million miles; it’s about the trips that got me there,” Gordon said. “I never had a goal to get to one million, to two million. I just enjoyed driving and experiencing life through my Volvo.
“The best way to explore America is by car,” Gordon, from Long Island, added. “I challenge everyone to go out and see as much as possible. Find your own journey and reason to believe because you only have one life to live. No matter how many roads I’ve been on, there’s always one I haven’t taken. That’s what makes it exciting.
“I bought my Volvo P1800 on a Friday and immediately fell in love,” Gordon recalled.
“I couldn’t stop driving the car. It was a holiday weekend, and I brought the car back to the dealership the following Monday for its 1,500-mile service.”
With a 125-mile round-trip daily commute, a fanatical dedication to vehicle maintenance and a passion for driving, Gordon logged 500,000 miles in 10 years. In 1987, he celebrated his one-millionth mile driving a loop around the Tavern on the Green in Central Park. In 1998 with 1.69 million miles, Gordon made the Guinness Book of World Records for most miles driven by a single owner in a non-commercial vehicle. In 2002, he drove the car’s two-millionth mile down Times Square to international media attention. Since then, Gordon has broken his record every time he drives his celebrated car.
“I’m realising this is a record that no one will surpass and I’ve been feeling especially sentimental with these last few drives in beautiful Alaska,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed the expansive landscape, a drive through the long tunnel to Prince William Sound/Whittier, and a visit to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.
“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.”