First Person to Drive Two Million Miles in Same Car Extends World Record in His 1966 Volvo P1800

Long Island native and retired science teacher Irv Gordon is scheduled next month to reach a milestone no other individual has accomplished in the more than 100 years of the automobile: driving two million miles in the same vehicle. To mark the occasion, Gordon plans to drive his shiny red 1966 Volvo P1800 through the heart of New York City on Broadway, cruising up to 44th Street in Times Square, where he'll be the honored guest at Volvo Cars of North America's 75th anniversary party. Gordon's milestone and Volvo's celebration will be held March 27, 2002, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. (EST) at Times Square Studios, home of ABC-TV's "Good Morning America." Bought Car for $4,150 in 1966 Gordon bought his P1800 on June 30, 1966 at a neighborhood Volvo dealership for $4,150. Gordon's long commute to work (a 125-mile daily round trip) and his passion for driving enabled him to log his first 250,000 miles in five years. "The car never gave me any problems -- didn't overheat, never failed to start. At about half a million miles, the car was driving better than ever, and that's when I was sure this is an extraordinary car," Gordon said. In October 1987, Gordon celebrated his one-millionth mile by driving a loop around the Tavern on the Green in New York's Central Park. Following his retirement a few years later, he made driving his pastime, going to Cincinnati for coffee or to Denver for lunch. "I'd ask a woman out for a lunch date. When she agreed, I'd say, `Fine, I'll pick you up at nine o'clock.' When she asked, `Why so early?' I'd reply, `Because we're having lunch in Montreal.'" Listed in Guiness Book of World Records In 1998, The Guinness Book of World Records honored Gordon's Volvo P1800 as the vehicle with the "the highest certified mileage driven by the original owner in non-commercial service." Today, Gordon is breaking his own world record every time he drives his celebrated car. At Volvo's 75th anniversary party, he'll cross over the two-million mile mark by driving onto Times Square Studio's street-level stage.