The 3 MILLION-MILE VOLVO: Driving the worlds most driven car | The Next Big Thing | Ep. 208

I absolutely LOVE that this glorious car is still regularly driven. "A ship is safe in the harbor...but that's not what ships are for."

Picture yourself buying a brand new Toyota GT86 in 2021 in red and then driving it 62,500 miles a year, every year without fail, for 52 years. By 2073 you will have matched Irv's mileage. Mad. What a legend, RIP Irv.
5,208 miles a month
171 miles a day

Still better than everything on Facebook marketplace

Rest in peace Irv Gordon, he always seemed like a genuinely down to earth and nice guy and I was fascinated by his story ever since I've known about him and his beautiful P1800 .. Nino Gambino with a name like that if he is not secretly a mafia boss I will be disappointed but god bless him he really cherish his friendship with Irv .. the fact that Volvo now owns the car and it's still being driven bring joy to my heart .. thank you Magnus and crew for such a well done video of such an iconic machine!

Irv was a really nice guy. I saw him often at car show’s. One interesting fact about him, and the car, that you omitted. Irv didn’t have a Garage. Aside from the amount of time the car spent on the road, it was always outside! Amazing.

I remember seeing a red P1800 heading up the NJTPK in the early 2000s. I thought it might be Irv's as I got closer I saw the plate which confirmed it was Irv returning from somewhere.

Legendary car and legendary owner!!

No matter vehicle, a high miler is a celebration, it means it’s had a life

It really touching to see Irv's car still running and continuing the legend.

Cars are meant to be driven and not tucked away. That’s a wonderful statement and I agree. This is a beautiful story and the car looks great for its age.

Of all the cars I’ve owned, including my E-type and F-type, the P1800 is the one car I wish I could have kept.

I met him in the mid 90’s in Modesto, Ca. I worked at the Volvo dealership as a Volvo tech. He was passing through and they let him change his own oil, he wouldn’t let us help. He signed some pictures for us and talked about the car and it’s history. He was a really nice guy.

This is a true ecology. One car for a lifetime

In 1968/69 my parents bough a Volvo 145S american spec with automatic. My mother took delivery of it in Paris at the height of the student rebellions and riots of the time, tear gas and burning cars as she drove out of Paris. They kept the car for forty years and finally gave it to the mechanic who had looked after it for most of its life, I can remember road trips all over Europe in it, I learnt to drive in it. One epic trip, just me and my mother in the early eighties, we drove from the north of Spain to Holland non stop in 22 hours. A few years earlier during severe snowstorms in the Massif Central it took us three days to do the same trip. It had the same wheels, engine, suspension and maybe gearbox as the 3.2 million mile Volvo. It was white with a red interior. If you were trying to get through heavy snow in the Pyrenees two people standing on the back bumper holding on to the roof rack improved the traction no end. Passing through Toulouse we saw one of the early flights of Concorde. Memories.

This car belongs on the national historic registry.

I've had mine for 30 years. Definately not sporty bit quite powerful vs an MGB. R.I.P. Irv. Q legend to all of us P1800 devotees.

Volvos pre p1800 weren't square and boxy. That started with the 140 series

This is the best video of the series. I love how Magnus tells the story of this car. Also great to see them filming in the 'other' Orange County.

The old Volvos are extremely durable, even now. Wish i can find someday the Volvo 940 Polar in time capsule condition.

Irv and this P1800 were legend even back in the 90's.

Last year I sold my SLK 230 convertible and picked up from a neighbor two blocks away a 1970 1800e and I'm only the third owner. It only had 47,000 original miles and now one year later I have 57,500 original miles! I park it outside I drive it every other day to work and have driven it long distances to different cars and coffees! I do all the maintenance work and the model that I have has the fuel injection along with the m410 racing transmission. I vowed to myself never to have a classic car that just sits in a garage again. Great job on this video!

That conclusion was beautiful, I haven't heard it said better. Thanks for the video! Really enjoyed it

you know a car is good when it outlives it's owner!
Rest in peace Irv, and may your Volvo keep on rolling!

I must have been 8 years old and the family was camping at Byron Bay NSW Australia and Dad' friend who sold Volvo trucks who had a P1800 in white as a company car, yes a company car, and visited us.
He then took my brothers and me in the P1800 to a grass airstrip where he parked the car next to a Cessna , he then took us for a flight and landed next to the P1800.
Best day ever. The day seemed so sophisticated and it would have been a wonderful photo for Volvo merchandise.

Great video! Thanks to Magnus and Nino to keep Irv’s spirit alive. He definitely took “cars are meant to be driven” to the Max!! I have a 1966 P1800S, love the lines, design and history. Has been one of the first cars (if not the first) with 3 points safety belt. Rally people love Volvos (like the Amazon) as they are truly very dependable!

"They don't build them like they used to"
That car is proof, outliving it's an amazing owner Irv Gordon and keeps on rolling down the road showing the manufacture, engineers, workers producing a good line of car, to the loving care by Irv that keep it going.

The anti-garage queen we see on BAT & cars & coffees where everyone congratulates the owner on not enjoying the car and saving it for someone else. Good on ya, Irv!

Something about watching you drive that wonderful car on wet roads for this video was truly satisfying. Thanks, Hagerty.

That car MUST live FOREVER!

I met him in a cars and coffee in Charlotte ☕️ and Mr. Gordon was a very cool guy that we connected right away. This video is just amazing Mr. Walker . Congrats 🎉🍾🎈

I don’t know why this video brought a tear to my eye. Freedom is beautiful

Irv and this P1800 are legends. Just something magical about it.

Even fully restored for the car museum is the best way to keep this historical Volvo classic running for years to come.

Only 2 engine rebuilds is crazy. Is it still the original block?

I've met Irv several times. Nice guy. He bought the car at Volvoville in Amityville, New York the town where I grew up. Volvoville was the biggest Volvo dealer in the US back then. The car was mint when I saw it at Carlisle, PA and Lime Rock, Ct.

My grandparents bought a 67’ 1800s from the factory in Sweden in 67 and I daily it in Maine in the summer.

Love this video - thank you Magnus for helping to continue my father's legacy.

This reminds me of an old Volvo ad in a magazine in the nineties. Two pictures side by side, the lunar lander and a seventies Volvo 245. The caption was :"Guess which one has most miles on the clock"

it's amazing to see how well he kept the car, almost perfect condition after over 3 million miles, i've seen cars with less than a tenth of that mileage in so much terrible conditions, he deserves all the respect

Thank you irv and everyone like him, and thank you Hagerty for preserving and sharing these stories. I love all things automobile and how much personality and history we can put Into an inanimate machine. I love my boys, and the stories, memories we make with my trusty wheeled companions.

I don't know if Irv would approve of somebody else driving his car, but it is really nice to see. Thank you Hagerty for this feature. I wasn't aware that Volvo now owned the car either.

Thank you, sorry to hear about Erv's passing. I met him a few times while attending New England swedish car club day events. Always a gentlemen, always an ambassador for Volvo. Unbelievable that he'd hop into his red P1800 and drive all night from Long Island to Chicago, Atlanta, Bangor, everywhere for a weekend car show. God speed Erv, it was a pleasure talking with you.
💔🇸🇪👍🇺🇲🏁

The old Volvo’s were made different! I can’t believe how many miles it’s been driven! This looks like a perfect daily drive

The true value is from the drive experience and ownership, not the profit you make when you sell the car. RESPECT! I owned my volvo S60 2012 type, with the very contraversial powertrain from Ford, and I still drove it for 10 years without any repairing job. Love it...

Talk about NOSTALGIA. RIP Irv. I remember seeing a show, one of the morning show (ABC, NBC, or CBS) when this car was the world record at 1 million miles. I am positive it was Irv Gordon. What stuck to me was that he said he was the only driver as being the key reason for the car longevity. I had a 1996 Honda Civic EX Coupe that hit 280K miles. For many miles in the later part of its life, I did not even give it a tune up. Just made sure I got good gas mileage (36 mpg ++) and that it passed the smog test. Original engine, trans, and I don't recall getting the rear brakes replaced. Several cheap radiator changes though, and oh, I do change the oil (8K miles or so) and use synthetic. My biggest regret is that I gave it a gasket seal job. The car was only getting a bit of water on one of the spark plug, and only noticeable in the cold morning, where the car would shake a bit till it warmed up. It was never the same, but I would not hesitate driving it to Vegas from LA. The car was totaled in 2010.

I saw the old Volvo ad, told people to drive the car like they hate it, I had 1964 122s Volvo, drove it hard, airborne, 3/4 left donut to make a right turn, and half submerged in ocean. finally sold it at the stop light.

Thanks Magnus. A really thoughtful and well put together video.

One of if not THE most wholesome car/driver stories I’ve come across!!! I wish we could all be a bit more like Irv Gordon.

You guys have really upped your game. This is an outstanding channel. Loving all the new personalities and content.

I met Irv in around 1999/2000 when he came to the UK.
I was at my local pub in Suffolk, playing in an annual rugby match.
Being a classic car fan, I struck up conversation with him ( not knowing the back story) and at half time, He drove me around the pitch !!
A lovely chap who, with me, laughed at the spectators confusion !!
A memory that will die with me !

Nino was my volvo mechanic back in the days. Awesome guy!

My neighbors had one in the early 70's and I still remember how wonderful the leather smelled. It was nothing like the leather found in mass-market cars today. And in the early 70's, fuel injection and electronic overdrive was a big deal. I like the P1800, but if I could have any vintage Volvo, I think I'd take a 1971 142E.

Truly astounding. I was feeling good about my 06 Saab 93 hitting 200k yesterday 😛

When I first heard of this car the story was it had 1 000 000 miles. I remember when he passed 2 and this is the first time I heard he passed 3. What a legend.

6:52 CONCLUSION IS JUST PERFECT!!!!

One of the best videos I've seen so far this year. Absolutely loved it! 😍

Hands down the best channel I have ever seen/enjoyed !❤️❤️👍🏽👊👊👊👊🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

Nino Gambino has got to be the coolest name, ever.

R.I.P to Irv. I bet the car is glad it's getting to drive again for a few minutes too

Awesome wideo about this legacy. Thank you. Great job Hagerty!

Arguably one of the most beautiful cars made. Even the wagon was awesome. This would be my dream classic car to own. R. I. P. Irv.

Wish I had the chance to meet Mr Gordon. I love this series, keep it going please.

Great to see Irv's story surface again! Thanks, Magnus. I've owned two of these, a few 240s, a 740, and (now) a 122S. I'll differ on how Volvo was perceived pre-1800. Their PVs, all the way from 1935, were considered advanced and quite aerodynamic. The Amazon (P1200-P220), getting it's sophisticated lines from several influences, including - it is said - the Chrysler C-300 (though the iconic grill design was in place years earlier), and was a highly regarded "performance" sedan. And like the later PVs, was raced rather successfully for decades (and still is!). The 1966 140 was the first "box" Volvo, a design focus that carried on through about 2000.

The final monologue from Magnus, i can't agree more.
I am 41,owned nearly as much cars as i am old, had rattle cans and exotics, the one thing i never cared about is the milage.
I drive a lot, for me its the most relaxing thing. A night drive through the city, out to winding roads, a road trip 2000km in 24hrs - have done it and will still do it.
I knowed of a guy who had over 100000 km on his Ferrari. He has the same mindset, a car is to be driven, not locked up.

Quite simply amazing. The owner of the car and the car have both gone home.

Been following Irv and this car for more than 30 years. I was sorry to hear of his passing but glad that his memory lives on in this classic Volvo. Also pleased that Volvo purchased this car to
ensure that it remains as it was when Irv owned it. 😊

What a brilliant story about Irvin and the incredible Volvo and Nino his mechanic. Refreshingly beautiful story that he kept the car for so long in contrast to the throw away culture in the world that we have now. Beautiful scenery in the video . Thank you.

I got to meet Irv at a Golden Gate Volvo gettogether some years ago--super nice guy and wow, what a story?! He really like my C30 R-Design that I did and overseas delivery with! I gotta dig out the photo I took with him!

Driving is a fading passion - great clip

My favorite video of this series, this makes me want to go drive and enjoy the United state with many road trips and memories.

Gordon was a nice gentleman! Really mindblowing how passioned he was for his volvo :) If stars would ever line up, I would love to have that p1800. Would get to 5 million miles as a promise.

Great story and I've always had a soft spot for P1800s, especially the wagons. I just did some quick math and it looks like Irv was averaging about 58,000 miles a year (4836 miles a month over 56 years) on his car. Where was he ever putting that many miles on his car on Long Island? The average person drives less than 1000 miles per month. I see that his daily commute was 125 miles, which would be about 38 commutes per month. Apparently after 1M miles Volvo gave him a 780 coupe, which he put 450,000 miles on, while still adding miles to the P1800. If he drove the P1800 for 3.2 million miles, and also the 780 for another 450,000 miles -- when was he ever home??? Between the two cars that would be about 5,505 miles a month during the last 56 years, even more since he passed away a couple of years ago. Wow!
Huntington NY to Huntington Beach CA is about 2900 miles. Given that his commute alone was 3125 miles per month, in order to average 4800 miles per month, he could do his commute, and then drive from Huntington NY to Huntington Beach CA and back every 6 months. Even more if you throw in the 780. I'm just trying to wrap my mind around the number of hours he must have spent in his car!

Magnus
I thought about saying Hi to you at Pebble Beach and recommending you to do a show on my 1972 Volvo 1800
But I decided to leave you alone with your wife. I am do glad this episode covered this special car. I just wished you mentioned the Italian (Frua ) design behind its gorgeous lines Thanks and all the best.

I just watched an episode of "MotorWeek" about Irv Gordon!
...From 1988, when he put his first million miles on the Volvo. What a durable car! D:

Such a great story. Nino seems like he’s a good guy and a good person. Much respect.

I had the pleasure of driving past Irv’s house on a few occasions over the years on the way to a boat dealer in Patchogue. I never saw this car until the very last time; parked in the driveway, I would see the cars that Volvo gave him at the one and two million mile marks. He must have been on the road with his baby.
Sadly, the last time I passed, the 1800 was there, tucked away on the side of his property under some sort of carport. I suspected that he might not be well.
The car is a testament more to Irv’s endurance than the Volvo. Sorry I never got to meet him.

One of the best motoring story out there. Amazing job honoring it.

Cool story. I could see a 2000's manual civic going this kind of mileage with the same dedication. I too would love to drive my car this long but I live in Chicago so if the rust won't eat it the mega potholes and aggressive drivers will

Beautiful. I learned to drive on a 68 122s wagon.

This was featured in an episode of Chasing Classic Cars on Velocity/Motor Trend network in 2019. Wayne Carini of F40 Motorsports talked to Irv’s daughters about the car and gave them an appraisal and advice as to how to proceed with care of the car.

I've been in love with this car since I first laid eyes on one as a kid.

My fav type of car ever - and this one is such a legend. Amazing.

I met Irv at a Volvo meet in Canada. Really nice guy. Sad to hear of his passing.

What a story....and an iconic VolvoP1800...this one is!!!

Great video and an amazing story! I never understood people that don't want to put miles on their cars just to preserve the value. Enjoy it as much as you can, instead of just keeping it nice for the next guy.

Excellent story I totally agree with Magnus it's all about the stories you make as you go through life.

What a story, what an achievement. Great video as usual.

I love this story, and I %100 agree, car should be driven, and what makes them special is the experiences you have with them. This P1800 is like the ultimate expression of that. I'm tired of collectors yammering on about how their car is special because it has 500 original miles. This car is special because it has 3,000,000 miles, and it's more of a legend than any low-mileage car will ever be. furthermore, it's still running great! So drive your cars, don't worry about the value, just hit the road and make memories.

such a legendary car deserves the coverage by a legendary channel

Great conversation between you guys !

I love this video, and I love the comments. I happen to be a Volvo enthousiast and could not believe my eyes the first time I saw a red P1800 in person (nor believe it was a Volvo, they're truly striking!) I was fascinated to find out a few years later that it is a (this!) P1800 that holds this beautiful record, with a beautiful ownership story to match. Irv, forever a legend an inspiration. R.I.P.

It is a really emotional, heart touching video

This P1800 is absolutely beautiful. I have had the pleasure of seeing it in person at the VCOA Gettysburg meet over Labor Day weekend. For the miles it has, it looks like brand new and you can tell it was well maintained. It shows that Irv Gordon loved his car.

This car is MOST enviromental help when car hasnt change or replaced for such long time. No resources from earth is been used for so many decades. Very honourable.

Wow such an inspiring story! Love this so much! 💙💙💙💙

I am now 83, and on my 8th Volvo (last two 240DL 4-Dr). Last 240 DL was 400,000 miles when sold to my nephew….looked like show-room and used no oil. Current one nearing 300,000 and uses no oil either. Service by the book always! Best, safest cars built. Owned a 1964 122S also. I have driven 70 years and 3 1/2 million miles. 😎🇺🇸❤️

That Volvo is beautiful! They knew how to make cars back in the day.

Great video. Bought a 1966 P 1800S three years ago, inspired by the saint ;-) Like Irvs car, it has this beautiful instrument panel - which was changed in the later editions of the car. The P1800 itself drives smoothly, it is very comfortable and yes - reliable. I totally agree that these cars has to be driven on a regular basis. Driving a P1800 is more than a hobby - it is passion. May Irv bless all P1800 from heaven (and all other drivers and cars, too :-)...

I saw this car at an auto show in Baltimore about the mid to late 1990s being showed along with new Volvos at the Volvo display. (The car hadn't yet had the "MILNMILR" plates, although it had gone over that mark by that time.) And I met Mr. Gordon himself! I'll say it was amazing how he put all those miles on that one car all those years before he passed away in 2018.
And it's nice to know the Volvo is still being cared for today, although, IMO, it should go to a museum and the chances of anyone matching Mr. Gordon's accomplishment are slim. At least no inexperienced teenager has gotten his hands on it. (9/11/2021)
*WE'LL NEVER FORGET*

I remember it from being in the news when it made its first million.