Irv Gordon, the single owner of the legendary, Guinness World Record-holding Volvo P1800 that clocked over 3 million miles (more than 48 lakh kilometres) has passed away at 78.
With the registration plate reading “MILNMILR”, the 1966 Volvo P1800 is a Guinness World Record holder, thanks to its one and only owner, Irv Gordon. Sadly, Gordon passed away on 15 November while travelling through remote, mountainous terrain in China. He was doing promotional work for Volvo Cars at the time, and had messaged his daughter just hours before the unexpected happened that he was “having one of the best times of his life”.
Born in 1940, Irv Gordon graduated from Massachussetts College. He worked as a science teacher from 1962 and retired in 1999. He acquired his Volvo P1800 on 30 June, 1966 and drove 1,500 miles (2,400+ km) in the first two days! His daily commute was 125 miles (201 km) and he always kept his car serviced and well-maintained. In 1987, it became the fourth car in the world to cross 1 million miles (16.09 lakh km). He entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the most miles driven by a single owner of a non-commercial vehicle when, in 1998, he completed 1.69 million miles (27.19 lakh km). He completed 2 million miles (32.18 lakh km) in 2002 at Times Square, New York City. The magic number of 3 million miles (48.27 lakh km) was crossed in 2013 in Alaska.
Upon completing that feat at 4:00 pm on 18 September 2013, the press note from Volvo Cars that followed carried a quote from Gordon. He said, “It was all rather undramatic. We just cruised along and I kept an eye on the odometer in order not to miss the great moment. But it has really not been about just getting to the 3 million miles; it’s more about the trips that got me to the 3 million miles and what I have experienced getting there. I never had a goal to get to 1 million, to 2 million. I just enjoyed driving and experiencing life through my Volvo.”
We pay our respects to the departed Irv and wish his family the best for their future.
Story: Jim Gorde
Images Courtesy: Volvo Car India
