A few weeks ago, my family and I headed to the Cape Girardeau area to visit family. Our second stop was to visit my grandparents, “Albert” and “Iris”.
As always, it was wonderful visiting with them, a visit that gave us an hour to look around the house before they arrived home from an errand. With their having been in the same house since 1961, it is chock full of memories. I even found an old newspaper from Wednesday, August 21, 1963, in an upstairs closet. Sugar was $0.99 for a ten-pound bag.
Several hours into our visit, the phone rang. It seems a cousin of mine had acquired some potatoes he was wanting to divest from his possession. Despite knowing one just doesn’t “find” 275 pounds of spuds, plus a bunch of watermelons, Grandpa and I fired up his trusty 1992 Ford F-150 to run the few miles into the small town of Scott City to fetch our fifty pounds worth.
He told me to drive, so this was the first time I had been in his pickup – let alone drive it – since sometime around 2000.
Last I drove it, this F-150 was just a late model pickup. With sixteen years having lapsed, it’s not as flawless as it had been. The power windows aren’t working, one of the fuel tanks has rusted away and been removed, and there is a mild tear in the seam of the drivers seat. All this has helped it cross the threshold from ordinary late model to endearingly wonderful, awe-inspiring old pickup. It even still has the original spark plugs and wires, but with only 70,000 miles on the odometer it isn’t terribly overdue.
Then it hit me – he bought this pickup in November 1992 and this is the longest anyone in my extended family has owned a vehicle (that has remained roadworthy for the duration). Pushing a quarter-century is no small amount of time.
So, my question: What is the longest amount of time you or anyone in your family has owned the same vehicle? And, of course, what was it?
I owned a VW Jetta for 7 years, put 100K miles on it with nary an issue. Also, my 66 Fiat I owned from 1997-1999, and then again from 2007 to present, so I suppose I’ve owned it for a total of 11 years! Long story there but it will never be out of my ownership again.
Owned a 89 Civic DX sedan for just short of 6 years. In that time it was hit 3 times with the last time being “terminal”. Put nearly 128K miles on it, and the only problems were a leaky cowl seal and A/C that needed replacement after 3 years as the compressor “killed” the system
Also had a TR3 for 20+ years, but after the 1st couple of years it spent pretty much all the time in storage.
Well, let’s see:
1992 LeBaron convertible – 8½ years. Occasional driver until engine blew.
2004 Impala – 8 years, two months. My daily driver until I got a great deal I couldn’t pass up on my current 2012 Impala LTZ.
2002 CR-V – still have – Wifey’s car. Family truckster.
It’s my ’65 Mustang, of course. My grandpa bought it for Mom on October 1st, 1968, and I started messing with it in 1988, started driving it in 1994, and still own it today (although my dad didn’t finally switch over the title to me until 2003).
I have owned my ’68 Cougar since February of 1993. In the 23+ years I’ve owned it, I’ve put about 52K miles on it — I retired it from being a daily driver in late 1994, but it still gets exercised regularly.
For me, it’s my parents 1986 Porsche 944 N/A. They bought it brand new back in ’86 and they’ve still got it today, so going on 30 years now. It’s been around for longer than I have. I remember riding in the tiny backseats when I was really little and I could actually fit back there. Haha, over time I’ve moved from the back seat, to the passenger seat, to the driver’s seat. It’s got around 135,000 miles on it now and I just got finished a month ago with a timing belt change and a steering rack replacement. For the past several years it’s been my dad’s daily driver since he works within a couple miles of home. Funny thing is in all that time, I don’t think it’s ever been driven on a mountain road. My parents both only remember using it to commute to work or drive around locally.
And here it is in ’87 shortly after they got it with my father in the photo. They also got the house they currently live in that same year. The yard wasn’t even in and the wall separating our property from the neighbors wasn’t there either.
My ’83 Ranger 4X4. Bought summer of ’90 and as you all know, I still have it. Second longest would be my ’75 LUV pickup, ’87-’01
Me: My ’94 Volvo 940, purchased on 9/26/2009.
Family: 2004 Camry purchased new.
Original owner of 30 years
Having lived the life of a serial automotive philanderer, mine is a short list.
Longest – 1994 Ford Club Wagon, bought March 1995 at 20K miles, donated November 2006 at 165K, so 11 1/2 years of ownership.
Runner up – 2007 Honda Fit, bought new November 2006. Currently about 2 months shy of 10 years and 107K on the clock. I intend to be a contender with this car as the years march on, but you never know.
If we are allowed to add with previous family members, my 1993 Crown Vic should be considered. My mother bought it new in July 1993. I bought it from her in October 2005 and sold it in Spring of 2015. Between the two of us it made 22 years of daily transportation. The guy I sold it to drove it for another year before selling it to CarMax for the same amount he paid me for it.
Oh wait, I forgot. Theoretically, I still own a 1963 Cadillac Sedan DeVille that was given to me for parts some time in the fall of 1978. I don’t think I ever got a title to it and my sole act of ownership was to tow it to the mini-junkyard behind an old garage near where my father lived. I have not seen it since I sold my driver 63 Cadillac in early 1979. If it is still there and if I still own it, I am at about 38 years. 🙂
1998 Ford Contour SVT – I bought it used in 2000 and kept it for 10 years until it was replaced in the family fleet by a minivan. Really a great car, and I was sad to have to sell it.
And my wife and I still have her 1995 Thunderbird, which she bought new 21 years ago.
Interestingly, my father and I are completely different when it comes to vehicle ownership. In his 60 years of driving, he’s rarely owned a car for more than 4 years, with several just 1-2 years.
The one exception was our family wagon when I was growing up — a 1976 Buick Century that stuck around our house for a record-setting 8 years.
I’ve had “my” (wife usually drives it) Mazda 2 for just shy of 3 years and that’s really the longest I’ve had a car. Mostly I’ve kept cars for a year to eighteen months. I’ve tended to get rid of cars because of a change in life circumstances – like changing career or country or both.
If this car lasts another year or 18 months it will be chucked as we’ll be changing countries again. I could actually use something bigger now but I’ll stick with the Mazda if possible, because the clock is ticking.
I did own a Beetle for 6 or 7 years but I only drove it for one and then it sat in my parents’ garage as I kidded myself I would restore it.
Still have the 1978 Oldsmobile Delta 88, which has been in the family since it was purchased new in April 1978. I’m also the owner of a 1996 Pontiac Firebird Formula that I’ve had since new.
And the Firebird……
Also had this from 1988 to 2014 until some idiot teenage girl t-boned it with her Jeep.
Nice looking Acura.
‘crying’ 🙁
That Formula is freakin’ gorgeous!
1970 F100 truck, bought new and owned 20 years. Mileage unknown as speedo quit working for a while.
Runner-up is a 2003 Silverado, bought new still driving.
My 1963 Chevrolet Corvette convertible. Dad bought it as a used car in 1968. About 30 years ago he transferred the title to me “if you can get it to run.” I cleaned out the gum from the carburetor, and it ran.
It is in my garage as I write this. It goes out every 2-3 weeks for “exercise.”
48 years…43,000 miles.
We kept our bought-new ’95 Saturn SL2 for 17 years and 200,000 miles. Still ran great when we sold it (to a couple of dolts who neglected it to death within 6 months).
I currently still own the 91 Buick I inherited 7 and ah lf years ago…Longest I have owned any vehicle was 14 years,,,,And it was a 1997 Chrysler Sebring Convertible… Sold to a friend last year who wanted first right of refusal. has just 136k to date. never has been any trouble….Yeah, I know, have heard all the horror stories. However, That car never got the memo. Longest any member of the family ever kept a car was my maternal grandmother. She loved her 56 Plymouth belvedere. Would not trade it even when my grandfather would be driving a Lincoln. Kept if after grandpa died. Had that Plymouth from late 55, through ’til 1981 When she sold her home and moved to Vienna va. to stay with my Aunt until she returned to live in a nursing home not far from where she as born, In Paris, Mo. 26 years. the family record
My 2004 Highlander, including both my mom’s and my ownership, it was for 8 years and 9 months (12/2003-09/2012).
My current 2007 Mustang. I purchased it in February of 2008, slightly used with 1127 miles on the odometer, so were coming up on 9 years. I now have 171K on the clock, and have finally retired her from daily driver status. Since I just had the transmission rebuilt, I decided to go get a commuter car, rather than running her into the ground. I hope to keep it for many more years. She still looks good and drives very nice….
Coming in an EXTREMELY close second is my wife’s 2009 Lancer. She bought it back when we were dating about 3 months after I bought mine. He car only has 81K on the clock…
Here’s a shot of the fleet, all parked “Curbside” which includes my NEW daily driver; a 1.5 L Turbo Charged Honda Civic EX-T Coupe (2016) which gets great gas mileage, performs very well, and has plenty of creature comforts for my daily grind…A CIVIC?!?!?! – Who knew? ;o)
I’ve owned my 1989 BMW Cabrio since 1999, and it was bought new by my aunt in January 1989. It’s still my daily driver and only vehicle, breaking the record of my mom’s 1994 Passat wagon, owned by her from April 95 until close to 2010. I periodically took it off the road when I lived in NY, rarely drove it in winter, and when I moved to CA, put it on a train transport. There is nothing like driving this car at full blast on the Bay Bridge at night. This is last November, a few days before she took the trip West, up in the Catskills.
Beautiful E30! I still see a good amount around for the age, sometimes in for service at the my dealer, sometimes on the road. In fact, twice I’ve recently seen one in the same color with a “for sale” sign on it. I’m tempted, but my heart lusts over an E36 convertible should I take on a convertible “fun car”.
To echo Brendan, that’s one beautiful E30, Mya. I still love this body style – I feel it has aged particularly gracefully compared to so many of its peers.
Still have my 1975 Oldsmobile Delta88 Royale convertible with 105k miles. Growing up we always had a convertible so when it was announced that this was the end, my dad ordered one and used it as his daily driver for 7 years and then couldn’t drive anymore . I took it over in ’82 and rebuilt the body with original GM parts and have been babying it as a summer driver ever since. My son has laid claim to eventually take it over which will make it a generation 3 ride!
Longest I’ve ever owned a vehicle has been five years, which I’ve done with my last three vehicles – ’00 Silverado (’09-’14), ’03 Accord (’04-’09), ’94 Dakota (’99-’04). I promised my wife that I’d keep my ’11 TSX Sportwagon (’14-present) for longer. Two years in, and I can definitely see ten years with it.
My father owned a 1987 Volvo 760 from 1987 until 2003. Last I heard, it was still roaming the streets of some New Hampshire town.
I THINK the longest one is the ’99 Dodge Stratus my wife and I bought used in 2004. It had 48,000 miles on it then, and our mechanic had rebuilt the engine in it (I forget what size, but it’s the 4-cylinder engine). A customer had given it to him when she decided she didn’t want to pay for the repairs.
We sold it to my wife’s work colleague in 2015. It has over 150,000 miles on it now, typical Stratus rust issues, and it needs an A/C condenser (a major job in a “cloud” car). But it still runs and drives!
My dad bought a brand-new ’65 Checker Marathon (6-cylinder 3-speed manual with overdrive) and it stayed more-or-less running and drivable in the family until 1990 (25 years).
The longest in my family and the longest car I have owned is the same car. My dad bought his 1972 Ford Gran Torino sport new in early 1972. It was used regularly as his summer driver for 31 years, when I acquired ownership. I have now owned it for 13 years, and while still mostly original it’s become my hobby car. My longest daily driver would be my old Custom Cruiser, which was 11 years. My dad has always kept his cars for very long periods as he is extremely meticulous at keeping vehicles in good shape. My dad also had his old ’76 Malibu for over 20 years (I’d have to check exacly when he bought it as he bought this one used). It was daily driven, including towing trailers, and my brother currently owns it. I had an uncle that daily drove his ’79 Catalina (purchased new) until about 2004. Another Aunt and Uncle had their 1980 Zephyr wagon (purchased new) until about 1997.
I forgot to mention, all of the above cars were in regular use throughout their lives. The Torino has never been winter driven, the Malibu is now stored winters after it was retired from daily driving, the Catalina was stored for about half the winters (when sold was still excellent shape), the Zephyr was driven year round but was pretty rough when sold.
Here’s a pic of my car from this summer.
Nice-looking Torino! Fantastic that it’s a family original for almost 45 years.
My father bought a 1983 Buick Skyhawk 1.8/automatic new and drove it for 13 years and over 260K miles!
I currently own 3 longer than 10 years—
1963 Studebaker GT Hawk—22 years;
1992 Chrysler Lebaron LX—just turned 20;
2004 Dodge Dakota—12 years
First: The ’89 Chevy Beretta I bought new. 8 years, 150k.
Second: The ’03 Matrix I own now. Bought it in 2009. 176k on the clock.
I’m not sure if this is something to be proud of or something to be sad about (probably both depending on the perspective) but for me it is: FOUR years to the day. And I’ve been buying and owning cars for almost 31 years now…
Leased 2001 Volvo V40. COAL Here: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-2001-volvo-v40-the-little-swede-with-the-big-heart/
But I am very excited to note that one member of my current fleet will exceed that amount of time very shortly! It’s a big deal for me, believe me. 🙂
I do find it very impressive and somewhat awe-inspiring that some of you guys are or were well into your second or third (or more) decade with the same car, with true bonus points to those for whom the car was and still is primary transportation.
I’m the same, 4 years. Surely there are some other members of Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous lurking about. . .
The VW Golf I just bought this year (with input from my nearly 14 year old teenage daughter) will go to her in a couple of years so I can start planning my next ride soon! The two box shape and ride height of a CUV is just about right to me so that is probably where I’m heading. The modern day Ford Model A sedan!
Most of us seem to carry it as a scarlet letter and don’t admit it during daylight hours. Maybe we can wear an upside down yellow C or something on our lapel to quietly acknowledge each other when we see each other on a car lot…
I have exactly the same offspring situation as you and am taking that well into account as my gaze wanders…I’m very excited for this all-new set of valid reasons for looking around!
Jim, the upside with your automative insatiability is you’ve saved a ton on tires, oil changes, and other maintenance.
Seriously, there are times I’ve wondered if I should have done similar.
Oh, I buy tires and change oil, don’t kid yourself! In my garage currently are several stacks of wheels and tires, look at my profile shot in the “About” tab above – a full set of winter tires on separate wheels for each of the 3 cars plus a second set of mounted summers on a third set of wheels for the 911 and a couple of extra, loose tires…I’ve also replaced the tires on two of the three cars in the last year. The upside is that I have (so far, anyway) never suffered through an engine or transmission failure. A couple of clutches but that’s about it. A few sets of brakes too. I really don’t like to think about all the sales tax I’ve flushed down the drain though – before we moved here, back in CA you did not get it credited back, every time you buy, you pay anew on the full (stated) purchase price except for leases. But, like the man says, it’s all about the journey – I’d be bored if my COAL listed ended at four or five total…not that there is anything wrong with that though. Not at all!
Gee, I thought that was a tire shop.
Good point on the sales tax. It pains me to write that check after buying a car. Overall I think there are both advantages and disadvantages at whatever interval one acquires vehicles. And the journey is more valuable than money sometimes.
The sales tax I don’t mind as its capped at $300 in SC. The yearly property tax is the one I don’t like. A cheap 22K VW Golf was $400 in my county this year. So a 45K family truckster SUV would be nearly $800. A fat cat in a luxury car – do the math. It goes down as the car depreciates though, so it gets better until you buy a new car.
Most cars have a 60K mile powertrain warranty, so I usually get rid of them just before then, which takes 2.5 to 3 years on average for me. At 30K I put a set of tires on and a new battery just to be safe. It’s a waste I know, but I don’t drive expensive cars, so it’s really not a lot of money in absolute terms. I haven’t gotten stuck with a no start condition or had to deal with anything other than minor repairs in years. I don’t carry jumper cables anymore either. Until I started doing this I drove used cars that ended up costing as much or more than a new car due to maintenance and needed repairs. I will say that I’m particular about things and I want everything to work like new on my ride, which can get expensive when the miles get high. Most people get used to or just ignore the minor failures, sub-par performance, sounds, vibrations, etc. We won’t even get into the time suck of dealing with repairs. Time is the most valuable thing in the world and no man can buy more from the grim reaper when he punches your ticket.
Thankfully Oregon has not tax on vehicles, and the registration is dirt cheap, as little as $43/year.
A white 1990 Honda Civic LX 5-speed sedan from 1993 to 2008 (the picture is from Wikipedia). Reliable and even decently fun.
Longest vehicle ownership, my TR4 at 19 years:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-1962-triumph-tr4-know-when-to-hold-em/
Longest vehicle that actually functioned as a vehicle and could be driven, that’d be Mrs DougD’s 1986 Honda 500 Interceptor at 16 years.
29 years, for my ’66 F100. Paid $500 for it. Still working hard. It’s on its third set of tires (low-mileage used). It’s needed a water pump, a cam drive gear, a couple of batteries, and….a few minor odds and ends. Total investment: maybe $1500; not bad for almost 30 years.
Not bad? In my world, that’s a miracle. 🙂
Oh, I forgot new brake drums and linings (ca. $250).
I read about your issues and keep wondering why I have avoided so many. My ’77 dodge Chinook cost me $1200 in 2002, and I’ve put in maybe $700-900 in mechanical work. But we put well over 30k miles on it. It’s needed a new exhaust manifold, pipe and muffler, alternator, water pump, batteries, fuel pump, and new calipers recently. Oh, and a power brake booster early on.
It does need its front end rebuilt and new tires if I’m going to keep making longer trips. But it always starts and runs, except for the time the ballast resistor went out. I did switch to a manual choke; the automatic one I could never right, to my satisfaction.
The Torqueflite dribbles a little, but not enough to bother with.
You have good luck or I’m just a terrible mechanic. Or I buy junk! 🙂 That last one is probably closest to the truth, although my Mustang has no excuse. Anytime they don’t give you problems, enjoy it! I’ve long attempted to understand the idea of random luck in a seemingly apathetic universe, and I’ve gotten nowhere. 🙂
How many miles does your F100 have?
I’m not really sure. It showed 88k when I bought it, but that may well have been 188k from some indications. It had another engine swapped in, out of a van, since the oil pan is essentially backwards. It now shows about 27k or so, so I’ve put some 40k on it since. I use it purely to haul, and haul it does. Sometimes it sits in the winter for months, but always starts right up. In the summer it gets used fairly often.
I also forgot that I had a clutch put in too. So maybe my total is a bit higher. But oddly, in the last 10 years, it’s needed essentially nothing at all, except maybe a battery. All the other work was done prior to that.
Your experience mirrors mine with my ’69. In the 10+ years I had it here on the farm, I doubt I spent more than $500-600, and most of that was for a new set of tires not long after I bought it from my Dad for $1,000 (which is what I sold it for, too).
I think the moral here might be that I should buy a Ford truck and not touch it as long as it’s running! 🙂
My Dad had a couple of 65 F100’s with the 240 six and standard transmission……If the truck did not start within a couple seconds of starting the key, you knew it needed a tuneup…. It always fired right off after a second or two.
My Dad had a couple of 65 F100’s with the 240 six and standard transmission……If the truck did not start within a couple seconds of turning the key, you knew it needed a tuneup…. It always fired right off after a second or two.
I’ve had my 1964 Ford Falcon 2-door sedan for 27 years. Given to me as a vehicular gift in August 1989. The longer I keep it the more fond of it I become. It’s such a simple vehicle I really can’t believe it. Even by 1964 standards this Falcon is one primitive automobile. The original spare is still in the trunk; it’s a Remington tire.
It’s the only car I have at present so if I drive anywhere it will be in the humble Falcon. 126,191 miles on the odometer. Really not so many miles for a 52-year-old car.
Well it has to be my 1966 dark grey Volvo 122, bought in Sweden in September 1993. My 1st car ever, and my only car until the year 2000. Nowadays it’s safely stored in a private garage in a Luxembourg suburb, waiting for a major (and – I hate to admit it – long overdue) renovation of the brakes and suspension. I once swore to my son I’d never sell it. So the old girl was 27 when I bought it and now it just turned 50 and looks totally great.
18 years this November, let’s see, so really 17 years and 10 months.
Vehicles that ran and drove: 1997 Chevy Blazer…12 years, last 18 months in limbo at son’s mechanic FIL over underhood wiring issues. 300,000+ miles. Will probably be scrapped or parted out.
Including non-running vehicles: 1968 Chevy C-10 8-foot Fleetside, 18 years. Sold two years ago. Lotta “next year”s in there.
1983 Cutlass Supreme 2 door, bucket seats with floor shifter, super stock wheels, 231 V6. Had it from 1984 thru 1997. A/C crapped out and Freon R-12 was not longer available to the general public. Also, the rear seal was leaking a quart of oil every 200-250 miles. When I sold the car, it came with a case of oil in the trunk as part of the deal!!
Identical to below, except mine was green. I do miss the car!!
My family owned a 1995 Plymouth Voyager from August, 1995 until July, 2013, but I had totalled it the previous October though I still drove it around a bit. I think my Grandparents/Aunt owned an 1988 Saab 900 from new until 2011 or so until it was really rusted to death.
I did not realize Missouri had such a problem with rust.
There isn’t a rust problem due to road salts in that part of the state, however…
I seriously doubt this pickup has ever been washed and it’s never seen a garage in its life. It is also driven on gravel roads routinely which has undoubtedly helped the front bumper perforate itself. As far as the fuel tank, I would wager the rust started from the inside and worked its way out.
Yet in the big scheme of things it all makes sense as my grandfather is a very healthy and robust 92 but washing his pickup simply isn’t on his radar. 🙂
I haven’t washed my ’64 Falcon in at least 9 years. I grew to despise washing cars so I quit doing it. Can’t take it through the car wash anymore, either. Too many water leaks. I keep it safely parked under a carport until it gets driven.
Our 1996 Toyota Tercel. Purchased in 2000 with 36k miles, currently with over 320k miles. It’s still ours but It’s on an extended time loan to my father in law.
Our 2003 Mazda Tribute from June, 2003 until last year. Dead transmission at 280k miles. Also currently own 1999 Nissan Pathfinder. Purchased in 2000 by my stepdad for my mom. My stepdad gave it to me in 2013, after they got another car, it’s currently at our house. Our other two cars have only been at our house for about 1 1/2 years.
Longest- 1970 Chevy C10. 307 stripper 3 on tree converted to 4 on floor. Bought from original owner in ’76, sold in ’06. Paid $1000. Sold for $1500. Had 64k miles when purchased. Had 169k miles when sold. 30 years. It needed 4 speed saginaw transmission with Hurst linkage, valve job with hardened seats, timing chain, water pump, starter, 2 alternators, at least 4 clutches, lots of u joints and driveshaft center bearing, 2 fuel pumps, rear end assy (broken exhaust overheated pumpkin), new exhaust, dimmer switch, heater core, radiator, master cylinder, wheel cylinders. Most replacement parts had life time warranty.
Second longest. 1986 Jetta GL, German built, 5 speed, gas engine. 110k miles when bought from original owner in 1991. Paid $2000. Now has 306k miles, still has original engine and transmission. 25 years and counting, no plans to sell.
22 years and counting for 1985 Yamaha 700 Maxim. Paid $300, bought from original owners son in ’94. 79k miles on it, original engine and trans, except for starter brushes, speedo drive hub, paint and seat re cover. Not planning to sell this, either.
The newbie. 2004 Nissan Titan, king cab, base 2wd. Bought new in ’04. Only has 15k miles in it. No plans to sell this. Replaced original battery 3 months ago.
Hopefully won’t be buying or selling any more vehicles at this point.
I had my ’86 GTI for about 15 years, and going on 16 years for my current (2000) Golf…my car prior to the GTI was a ’78 Scirocco, which I bought in 1981, and I’ve owned nothing but VWs for those 35 years (all manuals).
My mother actually holds the record in my family for the longest duration owning a car, she bought an ’88 Tempo 2 door new, and finally was given up in the state version of “cash for clunkers” in 2009…it still ran OK, but needed an AC compressor, and my sister was driving it daily, needed working air conditioning, so they got a 2009 Focus…my mother took over my Dad’s 2006 Impala (he stopped driving several years before he died…took him to get an “ID card” in place of license at same time I renewed my license last year). Her brother inherited the family car, a ’51 Chrysler Windsor, which I think blew a head gasket in1969, when he got a new LTD 4 door hardtop (302, drum brakes)…which he had for…not sure how long, but sometime in the ’80s I think.
My Father, on the other hand, never kept cars very long, his 2006 Impala was I’m sure the oldest car he ever had…typically kept a car for 4-6 years, so he owned a lot more cars than I have by the same age….I think the shortest would have been his 1994 Mercury Sable (he owned 3 Sables in a row, from 1989 to 1996) which he leased and only kept 2 years. Still, I’m sure it had a few miles on it, as we used it for trips back east after he retired. His 1968 Renault R10 probably had the least amount of miles on it after he traded it in at age 6, probably only 22k or so…it was his commuter car and never got used on any vacation travel. He had a ’59 Beetle before the Renault, which was pretty rusty by the time it got totaled after being run into when parked in front of our house….not sure how many miles it had on it.
Mom and Dad bought a 1976 Chevy Malibu Classic sedan brand new, it finally went away in 2001, after 25 years of one family ownership (my first car as well!) It just barely cracked 200,000 miles when it finally was junked.
Second longest was my 95 Ford Explorer, I owned it from 2001 to 2015, and it had 350,000 miles on it.
I forgot about my current 77 Chevelle, I’ve owned it for 8 years, and 100,000 miles.
My ’75 Gremlin X , COAL here; https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-1975-amc-gremlin-x-permanent-back-burner-garage-hogging-never-ending-project-car/
I’m up to 16 years now, another couple months and I’ll have had it half my life. Still doesn’t move, but oddly enough I am working on it this afternoon. Re-wiring with a universal harness on an obsolete car is no fun, I’ve got the back end done and I hope to have the dashboard back together by the end of the week. Or next year, this project has a habit of being interrupted.
Me personally – 2004 F150 Heritage, have owned since 2006, still have it
Dad – 1967 Ford Mustang convertible, owned from 1978 until 2012, now mine.
My dad still owns the ’84 Power Ram that he bought in late summer of 1990, right after I got my license. Ive done a COAL on that one a few years back….which reminds me I’ve been a horrible slacker in that department..,
My personal record was 10 years with my ’00 Jeep Wrangler. I bought it in ’03 with under 30K on the clock and sold it in ’13 with about 120K. That rig was with me thru 10 years of debauchery, 2 serious relationships, and a lot of life changes. I drove it from TN to OR with everything I owned in the world on a harbor freight trailer, and when I became a homeowner it did most of the moving. It even survived a 45 whack into a concrete barrier (never underestimate black ice) with surprising resilience.
Felt REALLY wierd watching some dude drive off in a vehicle that id owned over a quarter of my life at the time….
It does feel strange seeing someone else drive off with ‘your’ car.
That’s a feeling I have thankfully never felt.
All of my cars have been traded in for new cars at dealerships so I drive the new one away as someone drives my old one around to the back….I have had my present car, a 2005 Impala since new….will be 12 years in October with 173,000 miles and counting and I have no plans to sell it…..I have done plenty of my own work to the car, changing fluids, doing tuneups, brakes, fixing body dents, that the car is like a comfortable old pair of shoes…..Someday I will either sell or junk the car, and I will probably shed a tear or two when that day eventually comes.
For me it would be the 1978 VW Rabbit; I owned it for seven years (give or take) a1988nd put more than 117,000 miles on it. I know that VW’s of this era don’t get much love but the one I had was a good one. Other than normal wear and tear items the only thing I ever had to replace was the master cylinder for the brakes. When I traded it away it still had the original clutch and the rear brakes had never been touched.
Second place would be a 1988 Mustang GT convertible. I drove it for over six years and put nearly 90,000 miles on it. Of all the cars I have owned that is the one that I most regret getting rid of. It got to the point where it needed several thousand dollars worth of work and I decided to just trade it away. I regretted making the deal with two weeks. I have owned several Mustangs since then, and I have one now, but none of them have been as satisfying as the ’88. I have often thought about finding another one from that era but they tend to have been hot rodded to death, or are basket cases. In the past year or so I’ve faced the reality that unless I win the lottery and can afford “toy” cars, I am pretty much stuck with driving modern vehicles. I have become a slave to creature comforts and reliability.
Let’s see:
1974 Dodge Challenger, purchased 1978, 69K actual miles, (I have GOT to scan my old Photos!)
1969 Dodge A-100 Sportsman Window Van, purchased 1978 (put a 340 c.i. in it , LOTS of Fun!)
1983 Silverado, purchased 2001
1970 Charger, purchased 2004
I tend to hang on to my vehicles long term! 🙂
The Silverado
These were wonderful pickups. I saw a pristine, unrestored example of this vintage for sale the other day. It was tempting.
The Sportsman van
That’s a groovy van from ’69, man. Bring out the Indian gowns and love beads, man. I dig it.
I bought this 1956 Cadillac Coupe De Ville back in 1978 which makes it a 38 year ownership. I got it back in high school when these things didn’t cost much. I’ve had several old cars since then but I’ve always kept this one. I used to drive it in parades and to car club events. Through the years its always been called the Mary Kay car. I have other cars and this one has just been put on the back burner for several years. It now has the sour gas, stuck wheel cylinders and, you know, all the other stuff that happens when just sitting. I do have it at work so I get to see it all day long. My friend will one day drive again but for now it will remain a 1/1 scale model car that I look at everyday.
That is awesome!
Hmm, I know where you are!
That is a sweet Cadillac.
Very cool indeed! Must have been a fun high school ride, and great that you’ve hung onto it ever since.
Not mine, but last Fall I bought an origina-owner 1990 Acrua Integra. PO bought it in September ’90, sold it in September ’15.
I wrote about it in my COAL series here:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-1990-integra-the-unintentional-acura/
It’s actually kind of boring, and I can’t imagine anyone driving it for 25 years.
It’s up for sale to a good home.
34 years and 360,000 miles. 1977 Dodge Aspen station wagon. Recent COAL entry
We tend to keep cars a long time and for many miles, but two stand out: My wife has a 1985 Olds Cutlass Supreme (with only around 25,000 miles on it) that her dad bought new, so that’s 31 years in the family and still counting. And I have a 1952 MG TD that my dad bought in 1985, so that’s also 31 years and still counting.
Shockingly, the longest tenure of my family’s ownership belongs to a 1985 Renault Encore (Alliance) hatchback we bought new that lasted until ’99, if I recall correctly. My dad drove it first, then my brother got it. When it finally died (mechanically), it was still in okay shape physically.
That’s a make & model I wouldn’t have expected to see on the comments here. Congratulations to your family on that that one!
Longest for me was the old Cortina of fond memory – a daily driver for over 20 years, before several years retirement in the shed.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/car-of-a-lifetime-1974-ford-cortina-living-beyond-the-design-brief/
Dad owned a ’67 Falcon from ’68 until his death in ’89, but that was because he couldn’t afford to replace it in the mid-seventies when he wanted to, and he hardly drove anywhere in the last ten years or so.
I still have my first car, which is a 1977 Pontiac Grand Prix. My brother bought it in 1983 as a decent used car and then I inherited it when I got my license in 1989. I’ve been slowly restoring it for last 6 years and here it is about to get its freshly built 400 about 2 years ago.
…and I recently had my 20th anniversary with my 1996 Dodge Ram. My parents gave me the down payment as a college graduation gift in April, 1996 for my first new car (ok, its a truck) I painted the flames in 2004 and now it has a strong 360 small block.
My cars become very sentimental to me and don’t sell them unless I absolutely have to. I also have a 1969 Charger that Ive had since 2008, a 1972 Fury since 1999 and my daughter is about to inherit for her first car; our 2002 Durango that I bought new and raised both of my kids in.
Said it before, I’ll say it again…that’s one sweet 2nd gen Ram!
We bought our 2002 Durango SLT new in February 2002. We raised three kids in ours, and they are now the primary drivers. It’s my longest ownership at 14.5 years, 97,000 miles and counting. It’s a member of the family at this point, and seems to strangely get garage priority over some of our newer cars.
You’re lucky that charger didn’t fall prey to the Dukes of Hazzard wrecking crew that bought up the 69 chargers back during the show. LOL
42 years: 1969 F-100 Custom Cab, 240/auto/longbed styleside.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/coal-requiem-for-a-truck/
As for a car I bought myself, about 12 years: 2000 New Beetle TDI (and Herb’s still kicking over four years after I sold him – still see him in town from time to time!).
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/curbside-comparison-1964-beetle-2000-new-beetle-2013-beetle-convertible/
2005 Mercury Mariner (or, as I used to describe it to others, “a Ford Escape in a tuxedo”). Bought it in the fall of 2006 with about 35K miles on the odometer, and nearly ten years later, it’s now semi-retired from daily use but still running pretty strong with close to 170K. Now that I think about it, it’s been far and away the most reliable vehicle that I have ever owned.
Wow, Frank, an amazing claim, but I am right behind you, my partner and I just sold our ’06 Mariner Premier, bought new in the fall of 2005 and was ready to turn 100K miles. Always garaged and well maintained, it still shone like a new penny and was running like a champ. Probably shouldn’t have parted with it, as you note, ours was also one of the most reliable vehicles I have ever owned. A “Ford Escape in a tuxedo,” cute!
32 years for my 1984 Jeep Wagoneer (XJ version) bought in the summer of 84. It had deeply flawed components and proved to be an unreliable nightmare. The first 2 years were fine, but it soon started failing repeatedly. I learned how to fix minor problems myself but eventually dispaired of it. I parked it and bought various other more reliable and more interesting cars around 1989.
I put it back on the road briefly in the late ’90s and it continued its expensive, infuriating ways, so I parked it for good. I squeezed about 90,000 miles from it while it consumed a shocking amount of money in engine, transmission, torque converter and transfer case repairs. I still have it, a rust pile behind the barn. But it was by far the worst of the 30-odd cars I’ve owned.
My father had his 1973 T-Bird for around 36 yrs. until he died. He only racked up 24k miles on it. As for myself, I had my 1985 1/2 Ford Escort for 9 yrs. (1987-1996), my 1989 Chrysler LeBaron Turbo Coupe for about 10 yrs.(1996-2006) & my current ride, a 2005 Ford Focus for 10yrs. & counting ( I still like it a lot & there’s nothing new that I’m interested in)
1: 1988 Dodge Lancer ES Turbo, 10+ years. Bought new after the previous purchasers credit app was refused. From about 1500 miles to ~160,000 miles it took me all over the country as a new husband and then father. It had a few rough patches along the way, but I liked the car a great deal and in the end, it was worth it to me.
2: 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier, 11+ years. Bought it from my brother in law for $1000 in the spring of 2004, as it had 192,000 miles on it. I remember thinking to myself, even if it only lasts me two years, I’m ahead. My kids learned to drive on it and both eventually took it to college with them. My younger daughter drove it up until last December when it had 267,000 miles on it. The major reason why we took it off the road was due the amount of rust. Just looking at it would give you tetanus. It still ran well.
3: 2009 Pontiac G6 Sport Sedan, 7+ years. Imagine a G6 GT V6. Now, imagine a G6 GT with a 4 cylinder. That’s the car I have. It too has had some issues, most of which were rectified during it’s 100,000 visit (done with my usual tardiness, at 105,000 miles). Still, it’s been a great driver, pretty economical with the Ecotec motor and 6 speed autobox. It has the typical Epsilon body rattles, a few electronic glitches and some minor rust starting from rock chips. But, I plan on putting another set of tires on her in December and see where it takes me in the next few years.
One car at 46 1/2 years, another at 33 years with others ranging from 7-15 years that are in my possession. All very much functional. Actually there are only two cars that I have owned that are not with me any longer. The 1980 Civic wagon that wiped a cam lobe in 1986 with only 100,000 miles. Haven’t owned a Honda since then. The 1986 626 went 375,000 miles over 22 years of ownership.
Cape Girardeau, huh? There is a namesake ship (T-AK2039) now moored in the dwindling Reserve Fleet in Suisun Bay. Was on her back in 2011 for a visit.
My 2000 Ranger, purchased new.
It only has about 135,000 miles, and since I only drive it about 5,000 miles or so per year, I plan on keeping it awhile.
(I have no idea why the thumbnail appears upside down, and the full size photo is right side up…)
86 VW GTI. Red. Bought it in 2000 as a summer car, still have it.
86 VW GTI black. My first new car, sold it in 99 for $3000. I missed it, the red one had 4 previous owners, but half the miles.
1974 Vega GT…factory ordered, delivered in July of 1974 and kept in the family until 1990. The body and interior both in very good condition as it was dotted Ina garage for several years.
I do dream about it once in a while.
Dad bought our ’71 notchback in ’72, and it became mine in ’79. I think I sold it in ’87 or thereabouts.
My family typically disposes of cars in two ways- sell/give to the junkyard, sell/give to high school students…
1996 Dodge Dakota SLT std cab, long bed, V6, 5 spd- ordered, yes ordered specifically by me, new late September 1995 and then received Friday after Thanksgiving 1995, actually I saw it parked in the dealer lot with shipping plastic and protective items still in/on it on Thanksgiving day 1995. With regular maintenance its now 182,XXX miles and barely any original paint.
Exwife’s Dodge 1995 Neon early production late 1994 purchased by her Thanksgiving 1994 and disposed by me Nov 2011 with 267,XXX miles. 17 years which was about 15 years too long for all of the issues with that car from new- Chrysler lost on that $1,100 extended warranty! Then me keeping the Neon on the road (for the higher gas mileage versus the above Dakota) using extraordinary life-saving repair and upgrade methods. The stuff I did to the car that I hated can be summed up by the quote from a potential buyer looking over the list of repairs/modifications/upgrades done to keep the heap on the road: “If you had done this amount and kind work to a Honda or Toyota you’d gotten at least 400,000 to 500,000 miles out of the car.”
The Neon was a good example of the IKEA effect in that I had pride of ownership because I had to work on it alot even though I hated it from the start and, even in 1994, asked my then fiance, now ex-wife why she didn’t buy a Honda or Toyota.
Well, the longest I’ve ever personally owned a car was seven and a half years. Seven point five years with a 1976 Vega. I should get an award for that, a Shitbox Lifetime Achievement Award. If there isn’t such a thing, there should be. My current car, the 1992 Prizm, has been in family for almost 25 years now.
A noble effort, but check out GarryM’s post, a few above yours.
He spent 16 years with a ’74 Vega GT. Either that was an extraordinarily well-built unit, or he’s the gentlest driver on the face of the planet!
I had over 220K on my ’71 Vega when I sold it around 1987 (Buick 3.8l-powered at that point). That would be a good QOTD: Who racked up the highest mileage on a Vega? (c:
My ’76 Vega has 135,000 Miles on it when I sold it in ’99, but all the miles were on the original “dura-built” motor. It still wasn’t burning oil when I sold it. Odd, but true. The ’76 motor was a real improvement over the previous engine.
Is that a ‘GEO’ Prizm? I don’t even remember if GEO was its own car company or if they were a branch of another co.?
GM Division: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geo_(automobile)
1986 Ford F150 stripper, reg cab long bed. Two wheel drive, 300 straight six. The only options were A 4 speed overdrive stickshift, am radio, swing out mirrors and a tach which was pretty rare on these. It didn’t even have a back bumper. I bought it new and drove it for 14 years and 190,000 miles. I went into a skid on black ice at 60 mph and stove it up pretty good hitting a snowbank at about 10 years old. I drove it for the last year with almost no oil pressure. I worked two miles from home so I’d start it and go before the oil had a chance to thin out. It still ran when I junked it but it was knocking loud and smoking like Uncle Bucks car. That truck got me through some severe economic lean times when a break down was something that I just could not have afforded. I came to think of it a friend.
I tend to keep vehicles as long they run well and fit our needs so the longest we owned a car was the 1995 Escort for 15 years, although my 1997 Saturn SL2 will surpass it since I’m still driving it after 14 1/2 years. The true longevity champ is my BMW R100S motorcycle at 26 years and counting.
On the flip side my 2 Sciroccos only lasted 2 years each and my first motor cycle lasted less than 6 months before I got the BMW.
Our 2003 Toyota Sienna, which we bought new in January, 2003. It’s just shy of hitting 300k miles. Runs beautifully, but the rust is becoming a problem.
I forgot to mention my 68 Corvair Monza that I kept as an old lady car with 6500 miles in 1973 and kept until 1980. Also my current 2005 Chrysler Hemi bought in 2004 as my daily driver and still on the road with 85k miles. What a ride even today and surely a future classic!
Bought my 1973 Porsche 914 2.0 in 1979 for 37 years of ownership. Earlier this year shipped the fourteen to Seattle from where my wife and I drove to BC for the Spring Thaw rally, then down the Pacific coast to San Luis Obispo then on the way east, across the desert to Vegas to see a friend, then eastward to Colorado for the Silver Summit Rally, then east to Mount Rushmore, Michigan’s UP before returning home to Ohio. About an 8500 mile adventure. A definite old friend and a lovable COAL which is being resaddled for a trip to eastern Ontario in two days for the Maple Mille rally. A 914 is like an old DC3 that can keep flying forever given enough love and routine maintenance/rebuilding as necessary. The essence of Curbside Classics.
In my case, it’s not cars, it motorcycles:
1995 Triumph Trident – bought new, June 1995. Totaled by T-boning a deer at 60mph, November 2014. 19 years, 5 months, 117,213 miles. My primary (daily, weather permitting) ride all that time. Always backed up by a series of secondary bikes, at least one recent and in regular rotation with the Trident, most of the rest vintage.
1969 Triumph Bonneville – bought used May 1992 with 8800 miles on the clock, sold July 2013 with a final mileage of 48,173. 21 years, 2 months. In service as a daily rider for all but the last five years of my ownership.
I was wondering when someone would mention motorcycles. 117+k miles on a motorcycle is extremely impressive!
I’ve owned my ’77 Suzuki GS400 since 2000, and have no plans to sell it. I do tend to keep two wheeled conveyances a long time, though – I’ve had my 1993 Mongoose Switchback mountain bike since it my mother bought it new for me when I was 12 (yes, it still fits me). Neither get ridden much anymore, but both get exercised at least once a year.
1980 Pontiac Phoenix. 11 years. Started as an every day driver, but lasted with me as long as it did because it shared me for the last 4 years. POS.
1988 Chevy S-10 4×4 bought it new, owned for 17 years. Sold to in 2005 with 249k, still working, Now a farm truck in Mexico.
Replaced with a 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 with Cummins TD. With any luck, it will outlast me.
2000 Honda Accord EX coupe 6cyl. Wife’s car, still driven daily, 388K on the clock. Almost 17 years.
1972 Honda CT70, bought by my folks new in October 1971. Passed on to me in 1978. Top speed 34 mph down hill. Still have it. About 1700 hard miles on the odo.
Shown here circa 1973, with my Brother up front, Mom, and myself on the back. Yes, we rode it that way… at about 5 mph since we only had one helmet. Total weight between the three of us was still under capacity.
Strangely enough the two I have now are the longest lasting 8 years for the Minx as a second car and the Citroen is either 5 or 6 here as a daily car,
The second EH Holden I kept for 8 years as an occasional use car it did three years constant duty travelling Aussie before semi retirement.
Sugar for .99 a ten pound bag in 1963 equals $7.68 today. That’s about $3.00 for a four pound bag which is around what it would cost today.
When I got my first car, a ’68 Saab 95 V4, in 1971, I naively thought that I’d keep it, and all my future cars, forever or until they wore out, whichever came first.
The 95 was T-boned by a Duster when I’d had it a year and a half. 🙁 I had one other car (’71 Peugeot 504 gas) that was T-boned after a similarly short ownership 🙁 . Most of my other cars ended up being short-term because they developed problems that wouldn’t have been cost effective for me to fix, or because my needs changed.
The two longest-term ones:
’68 Saab 96 V4, owned from 1978 to 1991. Can’t remember how many miles I put on it. I got this one because the body was in better shape than the ’69 96 I had at the time. I had my mechanic swap the fairly recently overhauled engine from the ’69 into the ’68.
’87 Audi 4000 quattro, owned from just after Xmas 1999 to August 2015. 154K on it when I bought it, 246K when I let it go.
Correction: sold the Audi at 264K.
Well, I had my first car, my 66 Impala convertible, for 5 years, from the time I bought it from my sister until sometime in college. My next car, a 75 Monarch, I had 3 years until I had a job and could afford to unload the piece of trash. My 79 Mustang I didn’t sell until 1993, but I only actively drove it four years, so that doesn’t count.
Given all of my Ford management leases were for one year each, that leaves my present 2009 Mazda6 that’s going on 8 years with no plans for replacing it anytime soon.
wow! how do you keep a vehicle years? I figure I did good over the years if I didn’t change cars in the same calendar year.
the longest I owned a vehicle was my second last one. a 2006 dodge caravan, inherited in 2009 with 70,000km and sold in 2014 with 265,000km.
the longest I know of in the family was my aunt’s 1989 Bonneville sse, owned until 2005 when I got it and unfortunately died in 2007.
the shortest I ever owned a car was 1/2 a day. the local dealer had a 69 mercury and 68 ford for the same price. couldn’t decide which one so I literally flipped a coin and brought the ford home the next morning. someone came into my dad’s gas station and offered me a healthy profit so I went back that afternoon and bought the merc!
No exceptionally long-term car ownership in my family, but as a few commenters above mentioned motorcycles, I was reminded that my dad still has the 1965 Honda S90 his parents bought new for him in high school. That would be 51 years now.
11 years, first and only car since age 17, my 94 Cougar. Although It’s not exactly been the “same” car in those years(theseus’ paradox?).
The pictured 1966 Bonneville convertible was my car from December 1974 until August 1991, when I sold it along with pieces of a parts car. By then it was much battered, and it needed more care than I could give it; the frame was beginning to rust. Unfortunately I didn’t meet my wife-to-be until a year after selling it, so she never got to ride in it.
The car was equipped with power windows, power (vacuum) door locks, power bench seat, and factory a/c; it had the vinyl-and-leather upholstery that was standard in Bonneville convertibles through 1966. It cost $850 in 1974, having sat unused – except for occasional parades – for several years in the dealer’s lot. For some reason, the real wood veneer was missing from the dashboard; the panel was matte-finish metal, maybe aluminum.
The photo was taken at a rest stop on the Ohio Turnpike in May 1975, when it still had bias-ply tires. A few of my college buddies are, appropriately, worshiping it.
I’m a huge fan of the ’65-’66 big Pontiacs. The convertible with the top up seems to accentuate the length of the rear quarter panel.
The car almost seems to need an advance warning: Pardon me, but my rear quarter panel will be passing through the area for the next 15 minutes.
Well you only need to look to my name to find the vehicles that have been in my possession the longest that have seen somewhat regular use, my Scouts.
My 73 CabTop I’ve had since 1993 and my 72 TravelTop since 1996, and I have no intention of selling either of them, ever.
Probably myself. I inherited my father’s 1987 Honda Accord LX 5-speed. It was almost flawless until I pretty much gave it to a friend of mine in 2001. I realized I was turning thirty and was still necking in the same car from high school. Shortly afterwards, a great car met it’s glorious end when it was run over by a garbage truck.
Dad’s car before the Accord was a 1977 Volvo 264GL 4+1 stick with the PRV engine. It reliably left him stranded about once a year, and he held onto the thing until the rust was so bad that you could see daylight through the frame rails. The economy was very tough in the early 1980s, and I guess he must have developed a deeply masochistic relationship with the “French Engine”. I drove it for my driving test (hard to speed in that car) and thereafter he promptly got rid of it for the Accord. He’s never kept a car that long since.
1967 Peugeot 404 white red velours interior
24 years !
I can’t remember if my 2003 Falcon ute I have now has been the longest, or a 1977 ZH Fairlane.I owned in the 90s.
Either way the Fairlane doesn’t count, as it spent significant time in the shed or driveway refusing to start. It was a truly miserable ownership. I hope to write a COAL on this car one day. It was that bad there has to be a story in it.
The Falcon ute has been a much happier experience owned since 2005, it has 195000 kilometers (approx 121000 miles) the only major repair has been the differential and axle bearings.
A recent central locking issue, ( the drivers door unlocking itself after about 10 minutes, I think can be traced to a faulty remote control, fingers crossed)
I plan on keeping this car as long as I can, as long as the electronics hold out.
The engine is still sweet and Falcons don’t rust like they used to.
I also don’t know why my pictures are upside down if you click on it its the right way up.
Upside-down pics usually mean you posted from an Apple device. Been a problem for years.
Ooooh I like that a lot,wish they were sold in NA I’d be looking at one of those in a heartbeat..
My Dad’s 1993 Mitsubishi Magna wagon. Original engine and gearbox. He’s had it since new and it currently has 506,000km on it. He bought a new Skoda wagon the other day, and has finally admitted the Magna can retire from full-time duty. What an amazing car.
The longest I’ve owned a car is my ’95 Altima, which is just over 10 years at present. Daily driver until this January save for short flirtations with other DDs. It still runs and drives well, should probably sell it but it’s hard to find stick shift sedans anymore.
As noted in an earlier comment my motorcycle has the longest tenure of any motorized vehicle at 16 years and counting.
Keeping a vehicle vs getting something different has always been a struggle for me, but even with longer periods of ownership (5 cars owned for over 6 years each) I have managed to buy an average of a car a year over the 20 years I’ve been driving.
I’ve had my ’58 Buick Special for 17 years, but it’s always been an occasional driver, never my main vehicle.
’86 Camry LE, 5 speed. Bought new as wife’s car and ended up with it after divorce. Indefatigable machine; served me faithfully for 22 years and 250K miles when a career change dictated another vehicle. Passed it on to a friend’s son with a newly minted driver’s license who pushed it through high school and college years in another state until it was hit while parked on a side street.
Working on my next auto retention record with a ’97 Camry LE that currently shows 235K on the clock. Think I’ll make it in stride, providing I stay off those side streets.
It just hit me that my ’62 sunroof Beetle has been in my possession for almost 20 years now, although as a runner for less than the first year after I bought it. It’s still sitting in the machine shed in a pile of parts…
Me: 1994 Ford Taurus GL sedan, bought January 1995 and traded in October 2009.
Older brother: 1959 Mercedes 219b, bought October (?) 1966 and sold about 1996.
Oldest brother: 1969 Plymouth barebones Valiant 2 door, bought new with no options, sold due to rust in 1999.
Ex-sister in law, 1963 Triumph TR4 (commission date August ’62), bought lightly used in early ’63, sold it to my older brother (her ex) for $50 in 2013, now refurbished and runs like an express train.
Longest would be 15 years on my 1965 Ford Galaxie 500–it is also the largest car I have owned by weight and exterior size. Shortest duration is my newest aquisition, my 2001 Mazda Miata–and it is the smallest car I have owned.
The noob, baught a week ago.
Galaxie 500!
Another member of the CC Miata Caucus. Welcome!
Thanks! I am having a blast with it.
I owned my ’99 Saturn SL2 for 8.5 years (2003–2011) and as far as I know, it’s still bangin’ along somewhere.
My Dad has a ’91 Ford Tempo that we got in 2002 when a friend of my grandmother’s could no longer drive it. It had 8500 miles on it at the time. Almost 15 years and 100k miles later, I’m about to get it–FOR FREE! So in a sense, the car has been in or around our family since new. I just have no idea what I’m going to do with the thing once I get it.
I had a ’91 Corolla as a daily driver for a little over 21 years. Sold it to a kid. I think it’s still on the road.
Our 1993 Accord EX 5-speed wagon – Seattle Silver with Red cloth interior. LOVED THAT CAR! Bought it with just under 100k and sold it 10 years later with 220k. One of the best cars I ever owned. I changed the clutch at 200k and one timing belt at 180k. Other than brakes and tires it never cost me a dime in unexpected repairs and was just as fun to drive the day I sold it as it was the day I picked it up. Sadly the tin worm got hold of it. The rear quarters were starting to rust badly and many suspension components were rotted out so badly that the cost to repair them would have been astronomical. Replaced with a 2002 CR-V (Nice but definitely not the wagon!)
63 Valiant Signet 2 door hardtop: 35 years
05 Saturn ION: 11 years
86 Olds Calais: purchased in 1992 with 21,000 miles on it, kept until 1999 when I gave it to my parents, who in 04 then got an 02 Focus and gave the Olds to my little brother who is still driving it. 24 years in the same family.
02 Focus: purchased in 04 by my parents. Purchased by my little brother from Mom’s estate. His newest vehicle with approx 50,000 miles on it now. 12 years in the family.
My first car was a 1963 Valiant 100–totally opposite of your ‘loaded’ Signet. Had no options which meant rubber floor mats instead of carpet, no reverse lights, no windshield washers and no HVAC system whatsoever–not even a heater. It was a 2-door sedan, with three on the tree and seafoam green interior.
Loved that car and drove it all over during my 7 or so years of ownership. Couldn’t kill that 170 leaning-tower-of-‘power’, lol.
I bought my 1989 F-150 new in August, 1989 from Gilmore Ford in Prattville, Alabama. I still drive it with its over 259,000 miles.
I bought a 13-month-old 1974 Pontiac Catalina coupe in November, 1975, and drove it regularly until 1992. It’s now under a shelter, with 253k on the clock, waiting patiently for better days.
Bought Memorial Day of 1994 for $75. First vehicle I bought on my own. Still have it. They say you can’t take anything with you… I’m gonna try!!
72 F100 300 I-6 3 Speed Manual on column (anti-theft device)
Longest term of ownership is, of course, the Malibu. 7 years with my grandfather, who bought it new, 10 with Mom driving as our primary family car, and it’s been with me since ’96. However, it hasn’t run since early 2001, so it misses the “roadworthy” criteria! COAL here: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-1979-chevrolet-malibu-a-lifetime-of-memories/
Longest of any vehicle that has been a functional DD for the duration for me personally is the ’03 Marauder. Bought in November ’06, sold in November ’11, 1 day short of 5 years.
My wife owned her ’00 Alero for almost 10 years, from June ’03 to February ’13. She’d already had the car for 4 years when we met, and I ended up driving the car primarily for its last couple years with us, but it was her everyday transportation for about 7 years.
Thirteen years, 140,000 miles, 27 states, 3 countries. I regret selling her every time I see an unmolested one on the street…which is rarely.
So why did you sell it? (Please pardon my curiosity).
17 years for my 1981 VW Scirocco, bought new and stolen in late 1998. Living in Vancouver corrosion wasn’t an issue, and my work and living locations meant there were only about 165 000 km on it when it disappeared. Still reliable and definitely well-loved, I sometimes wonder how much longer I might have kept it.
What an interesting QOTD!
Longest owned in the family: 1978 Datsun 810 sedan. ~24 Years. Bought new by my dad in late 1977, and donated around May, 2001. I had a hand in extending the ownership when I was unemployed and sans vehicle. I’ve drafted a COAL about this car. Probably the best highway car I drove.
Personally, 2001 Nissan XE Frontier 4×2 with 5 spd manual, regular cab. Bought new in Sept, 2000, and I still have it. Alternate this with my other car as a daily driver. Almost 281,000 miles. Only hassle is that it lunches transmissions if a U-Haul trailer is pulled: 5 pulls, 3 transmissions. So long as I keep it on a trailer-free regimen, it should be good for another 100K. I still drive it to NC (400 miles each way) without thinking about “what if”. As a home-owner, there’s always something to be hauled, so it is useful as a second vehicle or as a truck. (Picture from 2013, hauling a bed frame between Raleigh and Atlanta).
Second longest: 1982 Toyota SR-5 long bed 4×2, regular cab with 5 spd. Just over 14 years. Bought it used in August, 1984 while in grad school (thank you, Aunt Katherine), and essentially gave it away in Nov 1998 when I was out of time, luck and money. The 4 cyl R-20 engine was the only thing good in it, the rest of it was rusted away from living in snow country 13 of the 14 years I had it. Only drove it 100K total. I cried the day I watched it drive away for the last time.
My dad was known to hang onto cars: in addition to the Datsun, he had a 1997 Lexus that was a maintenance sinkhole and finally traded it in 2013 for a Honda Odyssey. He also had a 1968 Olds Cutlass Supreme which he neglected for 9 years before he got the Datsun. His dad got a MB W111 (I think) at a great price and kept it for 10 years.
Mom got a 1965 Dodge Dart 4 door in 1969 and kept it until my brother perfected his left turn technique into another car in late 1979. And I thought that car was nearly indestructible because it was the car my brother and I learned to drive. Her parents got a new car every 4-5 years.
For me, a Renault 19 1.4RN for 6 years.
My Mum kept a late 1980s VW Polo for around 11 years and a 2002 Seat Ibiza for 9 years.
I’ve had a Hillman Imp for 20 years
I’ve only had 2 cars and I’m 52. My first one was a 1988 base Honda Civic with a 4 speed stick, it came with no radio, no floor mats, no right side mirror, talk about your basic transportation. I bought it in early 1989 with 7000 miles and finally had to replace it in 2001 with 207k after i snapped the second timing belt. I donated it to the local Fire Dept who used the jaws of life on it, the result of that wasn’t pretty. That Civic was replaced with another, a 2001 Dx Civic with a 5 speed stick. 197k miles and a minor deer hit later and i should see 200k miles by Thanksgiving. People ask me when I’m getting rid off it. Why? There’s nothing major wrong with it. When that happens, it’ll be another Civic.
I bought a 1985 Honda Prelude new. My first goal was to own it for more time that it took to pay for it (4 years). My second goal was to own it for twice as long as it took to pay for it. The radiator leaked and I had it replaced. The replaced radiator leaked coolant at I melted the engine. It died in 1997 when it was 12 years old and had 208,000 miles. It was on the original clutch (it was due to be replaced) and the original shocks. Good car.
I guess I keep my cars longer than most.
’65 Mustang fastback, family bought new, took it over in 1979, still have it after 37 years. Daily driver in the early ’80s
’77 Mazda RX3SP, bought in 1993, so 23 years now. Daily driver until I bought a…
’96 Dodge Ram pickup, bought new, so 20 years now, drove it to work today.
’46 Jeep CJ2A, bought in ’98, never a daily driver, but have had it now 18 years.
I always bought used cars that I thought were special, but maybe not recognized as such at the time. Always waited for a specific year and version of whatever I liked the most, until one turned up. It made it very easy to keep them around when the DDs were done.
Lots of other Mazda RX3s and RX7s and a few other things along the way. I seemed to cycle through the Mazdas with much mixing and matching of engines and things as I went. Individual examples were kept a year or two up to occasionally five or ten years.
I owned my 1987 Cadillac Brougham for just about 6 years exactly. Based on my subsequent experiences with a 1977 Buick on almost the same chassis, I have the distinct feeling that if it had been a 1980 model, without the computer and electronic feedback carburetor, and also without the 10,000 feet of vacuum line and attendant issues, I would still be driving it now, at 13 years in. But it was not to be.
Stick with the ’75 Olds 98 Regency. That’s a much more fun car to own than an ’87 Caddy Brougham. Big, bad ’70s beasties motoring down the modern highway are so much more eye-catching.
It is indeed an attention-getter. I have no intention of getting rid of it. If I ever had the room and resources I would “collect them all!” from ’75–98, Electra Limited, DeVille, Fleetwood Brougham, Imperial Le Baron, and Continental Town Car.
I had my Nissan SE-V6 King Cab from 1988-2001 and 238,000. Then got the Trooper which is still rocking at 241,000 (although it’s been retired to vacation-mode only). My Saab is 12 years old with 50,000 on it. I guess technically the Trooper wins.
My ’66 New Yorker has been in the family since new in January of ’66, that makes 50 3/4 years!
I’ve had my ’91 MR2 Turbo for 22 years.
My current daily driver ’05 Legacy GT wagon I’ve had for a relatively short 9 years, but that makes it one of the longer-held daily driven ones.
My Dad just sold his ’94 Taurus wagon which he got in either ’95 or ’96, can’t remember, so he had it 20 or 21 years.
But, perhaps the biggest claim to fame might be nursing a ’73 Austin Marina through 15 years of actual on-the-road life from my Mom to me to my sister.
85 eldorado bought it in 89 as a theft recovery didn’t know the mileage at the time cause the cluster was stolen too. I pieced it back together and drove it 10 years and 135k miles as a daily driver, then I kept it as a backup car for another 10 years and being a nice guy that I am I lent it to my girlfriend after the engine in her intrepid sludge up.
She drove it for 2 weeks and totalled it when she was coming home tipsy from the bar one night and hit a 1.5 foot tall concrete wall on the edge of a small bridge on a country road. She still blames the long hood on the Eldorado for the crash.
50 years and counting. 61 morgan 4/4 bought initially in 64, sold , bought again [accidentally] 3 years later. George Sterne, the dealer, brought in 2 that year.”My car” had been abused and repainted in Olds “Starmist Blue”.- it had to be the other one, but it wasn’t. So it got restored and driven, on long trips out of Vancouver to California and Ontario, and also as a daily driver. Engines and things wore out and were replaced/up-graded.Last time it was the chassis-a.k.a.frame. Done! On the home stretch and a hit of viral pneumonia leaves me unable to even twist a wrench. Sh*t happens.Hopefully, the next owner will give A621 the respect it deserves. Cheers!
I’m not someone to keep a car forever. My longest ownership was of my ’92 Grand Cherokee. I had it a little over 7 years. I had just put tires on it, and other than the steering stabilizer going sour, it still drove fine and the 4.0 liter engine was noisy, but bulletproof. It had survived the peak “wall bouncing” of my dog Gus without too much damage inside, and never had to be towed anywhere. All of it’s problems, except for the stabilizer, were covered by some kind of extended warranty. The only real one was the condensor would crack every 18 months, always a couple of days before or right after we left on a trip. They had replaced at least 5 of them by the time we hit 80K miles and we decided to get a ’99 Grand Cherokee, the vehicle I hated most of all of anything I’ve ever had. In 18 months, it was gone, traded in on a 2000 GMC Sierra 1500 ext cab 4×4.
My cars:
1974 Roadrunner: 11/74 to 4/77
1977 Dodge Power Wagon 4/77 to 7/81. Worst thing I ever owned.
1979 Trans Am 7/81 to 11/86. The one I hopped up in a previous article.
1982 Chevy K5 Blazer 2/82 to 5/85 Most trouble free vehicle I’ve ever had.
1985 Caravan 5/85 to 6/88 Hated it’s lack of power, and baby Gus ate the interior up.
1988 Chevy S10 Blazer 4×4 6/88 to 9/92. Almost as good as the big Blazer, lived a long life at a friend’s house until late 2010 when it began leaking at the top of the windshield. Had almost 500k on original, untouched shortblock.
1993 Grand Cherokee. 9/92 to 10/98. I really liked it.
1999 Grand Cherokee. 10/98 to 4/2000. Hated hated hated it. Killed my back.
2000 GMC Sierra 1500 4/2000 to 1/2003. Never the same after wreck, so off it went.
2003 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab 4×4. 1/2003 to 12/2007 I loved everything about it, except the gas mileage. Had to get rid of it when I got hurt and couldn’t enter it safely anymore. I miss it in the winter.
2008 Dodge Charger R/T 12/2007 to 11/2010. No complaints, just wanted a Challenger.
2010 Challenger R/T 10/2010 to present. It will probably become my longest owned vehicle as I plan on keeping it another couple of years when I will buy a 2017 or ’18 Scat Pack.
Mostly trucks are longest served, always bought used. 71 GMC 5 years, 72 Chev 6 years,78 Ford F-150 5 years, 84 Ford F-150 7 years given to my son in law and he drove it for 6 more years . Then a 96 Chev club cab 6 years and a 02 Silverado for 7 years. For the first time in 40 years no truck in driveway ? 06 Grand Cherokee and a utility trailer, how the mighty have fallen!!
Bought My 96 S-10 brand new. It now has 421,000 miles on it and gets driven almost 100 miles per day.
My current vehicle, a 1990 Taurus wagon I’ve owned for 21 years and drive daily. We still take it on trips from south Florida to Virginia and Massachusetts every so often. Great cruiser, great hauler too.
Prior to that, it was a 1965 Rambler Ambassador convertible I owned 18 years…bought used in 1977, sold when we moved from Massachusetts to Washington State in 1995. Put close to 160,000 miles on it, it had to go anyway. Rubber bushings in the front trunnions were all shot and NO ONE made replacement rubber for AMC/Rambler back then. Heck, no one even remembered trunnions! – everyone else had gone to ball joints. Trunnions were 1920s technology. Going over potholes jarred one’s teeth, it sounded like a jackhammer blow every time, what with the rubber half gone.
1979 Coupe de Ville…I bought it as a rough but solid car while dating my future wife. After purchase, it took a 2-day driveway thrash to get it roadworthy, including a brake job and swapping the transmission.
My 20th anniversary was this past March.
I drove a beat up POS 94 ford ranger with the 2.3 liter 4 and a 5 speed stick from 2002 until 2016. Slow as a slug but I just couldn’t kill the damn thing. Had 212000 miles when I sold it on.
We still have it. 1994 Daewoo Super Salon Brougham.