The 10 Cars That Travelled Furthest

10. BMW 316i Compact

In 2009, a BMW 316i Compact, dating from 1995, appeared on the German news reports with a mileage of more than 310.000 miles (500.000 km). This is a record for the 1,6l engine which outputs 102hp. Owner Wilfried Bode from Leipzig is doing about 150.000 km annually. Besides brakes and exhaust pipe, the car did not see any other pieces replaced since 1995.  

9. Volkswagen Golf 1.9 TDi

Roy Dyson from the UK, has driven his Volkswagen Mk.IV Golf S TDI over 450,000 miles in 10 years. Dyson had no mechanical troubles with the car beyond an alternator failure shortly after the car crossed 300,000 miles. For more details on this particular car, check here the full story on Autoviva.

8. Volkswagen Golf GL

And another mileage-veteran from Wolfsburg: Hans-Dieter Gehlen drove his first-generation Golf from 1983 over 20 years and more than 620.000 miles (1 Mio. km). The engine had survived a crash which occured shortly before the record-mark and with the help of sponsors, the wrecked car was restored and set back on track for the 1 million kilometers line, which it finally crossed in 2003.

7. Honda Civic

In 2007, a Honda Civic from 1995 was spotted on Craigslist with 940.000 miles (1.5 mio km) on the mileometer. The owner described the car as flawless, besides one dashboard light with a loose contact. Various pieces had been replaced over time, including the clutch, but the engine was still original. The high mileage was accumulated on trips from Atlanta to Seattle and San Francisco.

6. Mercedes-Benz 300 D

Mercedes has a reputation for the longevity of its engines, and the Mercedes E 300 D from 1989 that made 1 mio km until 2011, is living proof of that. Averaging 45.000 kilometers a year, owner Fritz Weber claims that the secret is careful maintenance and regular inspections. The 113hp engine never caused him any trouble, even when pulling a large caravan behind on longer holiday trips.

5. Saab 900

A 1989 Saab 900 owned by Peter Gilbert in the USA drove 1 million miles without any major problems until 2006, only the hood and other smaller pieces were replaced. The car is now exhibited at the Wisconsin Automotive Museum.

4. Dodge Ram 3500

In 2006 a Dodge Ram 3500 reportedly crossed the 1-million-mark on his odometer. The heavy truck, dating from 1995 is owned by Robert Swan, who's excelent car-owner-skills earned him a phonecall from Chrysler CEO Tom LaSorda and a book.

3. Volkswagen Beetle

A 1963 Volkswagen Beetle, owned by Albert Klein in Pasadena, California, is said to have had an accumulated mileage of 1,442,044 miles by 1993. We are wondering: is he still alive and rattling along on the Great Pacific Highway?

2. Mercedes-Benz 240 D

The Greek taxi-driver Gregorios Sachinidis covered from 1981 until 2003 more than 4.6 million km with his 1976 Mercedes-Benz 240 D. In 2004, the car became part of the Mercedes-Benz Museum collection. However, it did not retire due to senile decay, but because the Greek government wanted to renew the taxi-fleet ahead of the Olympic Games. So who knows how much further it would still have gone?

1. Volvo P1800

Irvin Gordon's Volvo P1800 is until today the undefeated record holder, officially proven by the Guiness Book of Records, and currently counting 3 million miles (4,8M km). Gordon bought the car in 1966, it is still running on the same engine it had 46 years ago and covers more than 100.000 km annually.