Irv Gordon, First Person to Drive Two Million Miles in Same Car, to Celebrate With a European Vacation in His Volvo P1800

NEW YORK, July 24 -- Irv Gordon, the Long Island native who earlier this year became the first person to drive two million miles in the same car -- a red 1966 Volvo P1800 -- will next month celebrate his milestone by taking his car on a five-week vacation in Europe.

Gordon, a 60-year-old retired science teacher from East Patchogue, Long Island, gained worldwide notoriety on March 27 when he turned his two millionth mile in his Volvo while driving down Times Square during Volvo Cars of North America's 75th Anniversary event.

Since his milestone, he's clocked another 25,000 miles touring cities such as Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami and Philadelphia, sightseeing, visiting friends and dodging motorists on the interstates who drive up next to him, roll down their windows and yell, "Hey, didn't I see you on the news last night??"

Gordon will begin his vacation in early August in Sweden, home of Volvo Car Corp.'s global headquarters, where he will participate in Volvo's worldwide 75th anniversary event and a Genuine Volvo Parts annual meeting. Next, he'll take a ferry to Germany and zip down the Autobahn at a safe speed before swinging through Holland. He'll then take another ferry to the United Kingdom, where he'll participate in Volvo Cars of United Kingdom's anniversary event, as well as a variety of gatherings at Volvo dealerships, returning to the United States in mid-September. He expects to add another 5,000 miles to his odometer.

"It's time for the car -- and me -- to see some fresh terrain," said Gordon, who is known affectionately in car nut circles as the "Two Million Mile Man." "I recently gave the P1800 some new tires and a paint job, and it's ready to go. Seeing Europe from behind the wheel of your own car is so much more fun than from a train, plane or bus.

"I haven't visited Europe since 1994, and I've heard that a lot of these countries have since become 'Americanized' enough that they are opening up diners and fast food joints along roadsides and near roundabouts, and that's a good thing," Gordon added. "To be on the safe side, I'm packing four cans of Cheese-Whiz in my trunk, just in case."

Irv purchased his P1800 in June 1966 from a neighborhood Volvo dealership for $4,150. Gordon's 125-mile daily commute to and from work, his passion for driving and his meticulous care for his car enabled him to clock the miles. In 1998, The Guinness Book of World Records honored Gordon's car as the vehicle with the "highest certified mileage driven by the original owner in non-commercial service." Gordon breaks his own world record every time he drives his celebrated car.