It has a few scars from battle.
Million-mile cars don’t seem like the unicorns that they once were. Many makes and models have crossed the seven-figure mark thanks to improved engineering, meticulous maintenance, a strong supply of replacement parts, as well as the stubbornness of their owners. This is not an easy task, but Jim O’Shea from Missouri was determined to achieve it. According to KNWA Fox 24, he did so in his 1991 Volvo 740 GLE.
O’Shea was visiting the West County Volvo dealer to purchase the 740 30 years ago. A 1961 model with one million miles rolled onto the lot. O’Shea cannot recall the model number of the car, but he did not forget to see the owner driving off the lot in a brand new model. O’Shea got an idea from that: “If he’s able to do it, then I can do it,” he said to KNWA. O’Shea did it, even though the car has had its fair share of battle scars.
The Volvo has its second engine and transmission. There is some rust. Although it is accident-free, he admits that it has been bumped into the driveway three times – on average, once every ten years. O’Shea credits the Volvo’s longevity to its ease of repair. It was a “mechanics’ dream”, he said, adding that the common man can replace bulbs and other parts. Simplicity wins.
More than a few Volvo’s are out there with rolled over odometers, thousands of miles ahead of them, but other cars are starting to join the ranks. The Nissan Frontier, RAM 3500 , Hyundai Elantra, and the Ram 3500 all have exceeded the one million mile mark. It is not easy to do it with the original engine, but it is possible. A million-mile Honda CRX with original hardware – also a 1991 version – is now available at a Florida dealership. This is great marketing.