While most people hold onto their cars for less than a decade, and most vehicles get scrapped when it’s no longer financially viable to keep repairing them and swapping parts, for some people a car is a lifelong companion, accompanying them through the decades and accumulating mileage that most cars on the road will never see.
Some cars with extremely high mileage have become famous, breaking records, ending up in museums, or even in manufacturers’ marketing campaigns. Others simply stayed with their owners, quietly chugging along day after day. Irv Gordon’s Volvo P1800S was one such car, having accumulated an astonishing 3.2 million miles since being bought new in 1966, it is now the current record holder for the highest mileage car.
The Story Of The Volvo P1800
The P1800’s story begins in 1961, five years before Irv Gordon bought his pride and joy. The model enjoyed a good degree of success (including a television appearance alongside a pre-Bond Roger Moore), remaining in production until 1973. While most examples of the P1800 (39,407 units) were offered in a coupe body style, 8,077 units came in a “shooting brake” sports wagon configuration.
The P1800’s design blended Swedish and Italian influences. The man responsible for its styling, Pelle Petterson, is best known for his career in the Swedish Olympic sailing team and, later, as a yacht designer. While creating the P1800, he was studying under the mentorship of Italian automotive designer Pietro Frua, who was working for legendary design firm Ghia at the time.
The first incarnation of the P1800 was not built in Sweden, but in the UK. Volvo had struck a deal with Jensen Motors, who had spare capacity on its production lines at its factory in West Bromwich, England. However, after a few years, quality control issues began to emerge, and Volvo decided to bring the P1800 home to Sweden, taking charge of assembly at its Gothenburg plant. The new model was named P1800S, the S standing for “Sverige” (“Sweden”). Volvo also took the opportunity to make a few improvements, boosting the power output and later upgrading to a new engine.
The model’s designation eventually changed again with the arrival of fuel injection in 1970: the new version was called the P1800E, with the E standing for “Einspritzung” (German for fuel injection). It also added disc brakes at the rear as well as the front. The final variant arrived two years later, in 1972: while all previous versions of the P1800 had been coupes, the 1800ES was a “shooting brake”, or a two-door sports wagon. The 1800ES was killed off fairly quickly, as Volvo did not consider it financially viable to update the model when new emissions standards came in; 8,077 units of the shooting-brake P1800ES were built over the course of two years.
In 2020, Cyan Racing, the official motorsport partner of Volvo’s parent company Geely, revealed a restomod homage to the P1800; although the team was careful to preserve its ’60s character by not adding modern driver aids. The body and chassis, however, were reinforced with materials such as steel and carbon fiber.
The Volvo P1800S In Numbers
| Engine | 1.8-liter inline-four |
| Power | 115 hp |
| Torque | 108 lb-ft |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual |
| 0-60 | 13 seconds |
| Top Speed | 109 mph |
50 Years And Counting: Irv Gordon And His Volvo
The P1800S may have been a lifelong companion for Irv Gordon, but it wasn’t his first car. He decided to purchase the Volvo, which cost the equivalent of a year’s salary, after having a bad experience with his previous wheels, a series of Chevrolets that, in his own words, “kept breaking down.” The last he ever bought was a Corvair, which broke down shortly after he had driven home from the dealership.
Gordon decided he needed a fresh start with a new make of car, and opted for the Volvo P1800, which at that point had been on the market for five years and had recently gotten over the build quality snags that plagued its early model years. This proved to be a winning choice. After buying the car on a Friday, he returned to the dealership on Monday, this time to get it serviced rather than to return it. Over the weekend, he had already covered 1,500 miles.
Further road trips followed, of course. Gordon loved driving his Volvo as much as possible, finding joy in the journey as much as the destination. He also collaborated with Volvo itself, acting as a brand ambassador, traveling the world, and even receiving a brand new 780 as a gift from the company to commemorate hitting the million-mile mark. The P1800S remained with him until his death in 2018, covering the equivalent distance of seven return trips to the moon, or just over 3.2 million miles.
By 1987, Gordon had his first million miles under his belt, with the second coming by 2002, and the third by 2013. His aforementioned 780 was no stranger to the roads either, having accumulated 450,000 miles with Gordon at the helm also. Volvo, clearly very pleased with the publicity that came as a result of Gordon’s efforts, then gifted him an XC60, to celebrate the 3-million-mile mark.
A Strict Maintenance Regime
In order to keep his beloved Volvo in top shape for decades on end, Gordon adopted a meticulous maintenance schedule. Throughout the 52 years he owned the car, he set himself some ground rules which prolonged his car’s reliability and pushed it to record-holding status. These included being the only person to drive the car, not eating or drinking inside the car, and, of course, following a regular maintenance schedule according to the manufacturer’s recommendations printed on the service manual.
He noted that the car never really required any repairs, which is both a testament to the car’s build quality and also the strictness of Gordon’s maintenance regime. His advice was simple: read the handbook, and carry out the basics with diligence. When Gordon passed in 2018, his P1800 was on 3,260,257 miles. Rather than entering a quiet retirement, Volvo continues to use the car, although certainly more sparingly than Gordon ever did.
Driving Through The Decades: Other Notable High-Mileage Cars
While Irv Gordon’s Volvo holds a global record that’s unlikely to be beaten for a long while, there are several other cars out there that have managed to break into the million-mile or 2-million mile club. So far, only one person has managed to get close to Gordon’s record: Greek taxi driver Gregorios Sachinidis, who racked up 2.85 million miles on his Mercedes 240D. But that’s to be expected from a car with one of the most reliable engines ever made.
Another Volvo stands out in the million-mile club, a 245 GL, which accumulated 1.63 million miles over the course of its life as a fleet vehicle for Finnish logistics company SE Makinen. Further down the list, Joe LoCicero’s Honda Accord is another example of a vehicle that achieved its high mileage thanks to obsessive maintenance. A master mechanic, Joe LoCicero, kept a strict servicing schedule throughout the Accord’s life and even carried out an engine rebuild himself.
Some manufacturers, like Volvo and even diesel engine manufacturer Cummins, encourage owners to stick with it and hit high mileages in their cars by setting up high-mileage clubs. There are various awards to be gained from hitting the highest of numbers, in addition to badges and stickers for your car to wear with pride.
What Can I Do To Make My Car Last Longer?
You might not be able to achieve three million miles with your car, but there are some things you can do to make sure your pride and joy lasts as long as possible. Some are fairly obvious, like paying attention to any odd sounds, smells or dashboard warnings. Regular maintenance is, of course, crucial. Even if you don’t quite follow Irv Gordon’s example with multiple engine rebuilds, you should still make sure that your car gets regular services, and that consumables and fluids are replaced regularly.
Other tips for making your car last are not related to maintenance, but to driving style. Being kind to your gearbox (for example, by coming to a full stop before shifting into reverse) is vital to getting the most out of your vehicle, as is sticking to your vehicle’s abilities, for example, by not taking a crossover off-road (despite what the name might suggest, they generally have very poor off-road capabilities).
Following the manufacturer’s recommendations, keeping on top of scheduled maintenance, and driving your car with care are all good ways to keep your car on the road for many years to come.
Sources: Volvo, Wyant Group, Driving, guinnessworldrecords.
