Skip to main content

Everyone’s always discussing the best cars for reliability. However, there’s a 1966 Volvo P1800 out there that takes the cake in this regard. In fact, this specific car has the most miles on the odometer than any other vehicle. Of course, people regard Volvo models as some of the most reliable cars, but this one truly stands out.

This 1966 Volvo P1800 is one of the best cars for reliability

According to Volvo, the vehicle with the highest number of recorded miles on the odometer belonged to Irv Gordon. As mentioned before, the vehicle in question is a 1966 Volvo P1800, and it’s among the most reliable cars as it has over 3,000,000 miles. The car reached the feat in September 2013. Irv bought the P1800 brand new and became known as the “three mission mile Volvo man.”

Irv Gordon's car is one of the most reliable cars.
Irv Gordon with his Volvo | Photo By Getty Images

The red 1966 Volvo P1800 is also one of the best cars for reliability because it still has its original engine. However, it has gone through two rebuilds over the years. The car has also had two paint jobs since Irv drove it home in 1966. Notably, Irv spent $4,150 for it and put 1,500 miles on the odometer in his first weekend of ownership. According to the story, he had it serviced the very next week.

An avid driving enthusiast, not only did Irv have a long commute to his teaching job, but he loved weekend road trips in what became one of the best cars for reliability. In fact, the man hit 1,000,000 miles in the car by 1987. He doubled that amount in 2002. It’s also notable that Volvo gifted him a 780 Coupe in 1987, and he was able to clock 450,000 miles on it before deciding to sell it.

The automaker also gifted Irv a new XC60 when his classic P1800 crossed the 3 million mile mark

Where’s the car today?

It’s no surprise that the 1966 Volvo P1800 is still in use today as it’s one of the best cars for reliability. Unfortunately, Irv Gordon died in November of 2018. However, despite being gifted a new car from Volvo, he drove his classic until his death. When he died, the car’s odometer had 3,260,257 miles.

So, where’s this iconic car today? Volvo now owns it, and people from the company still drive it and take proper care of it. It seems Irv may have wanted it this way since he had previously joked that he’d sell it back to the automaker for one dollar per mile.