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.