A ranking of cars that are record holders by mileage. Some of them have, in fact, “driven” to the Moon and back, and several times. After all, these cars have driven over 1 million kilometers. But there are absolute winners among the leaders.

TopZhyr has already published TOP-3 cars with the highest mileage in the world. And this time, we decided to gather a well-deserved top ten of record-breaking cars. We’ll start from the lowest to the highest.

Cars with Mileage Over 1 Million Kilometers

Porsche 356 1964

This car changed two owners. The first drove the Porsche for almost 130 thousand kilometers, while the second clocked in 980 thousand miles (almost 1.6 million km). According to the owner, except for two engine overhauls, there were no serious breakdowns.

Toyota Tundra 2007

Despite its relative youth, this pickup truck has driven 1.65 million kilometers! As a result, Toyota bought back the Tundra with record mileage and even gifted the owner a new Toyota Tundra. Yes, the man got money and a new car! To the engineers’ surprise, the 4.7-liter V8 engine was in good condition and was never overhauled. According to the car owner, it’s because he changed the fluids (and engine oil) more often than recommended.

Saab 900 1989

An American from Wisconsin drove the turbocharged Saab 900 SPG over 1 million miles in 32 years. To be precise – 1,611,573 km. In this period, he only rebuilt the transmission once (at 322 thousand kilometers), and that’s it! The downside is a lot of rust. Otherwise, there were no serious problems with the car, and he only used expensive oil in the engine. Currently, it is displayed in a local museum, and in exchange for the record-breaking mileage Saab, the then still-existing Swedish brand (now defunct) gave the American a new 9-5 Aero.

Lexus LS400 1996

This Lexus sedan changed numerous owners, with the last being an American auto journalist who bought it in 2014 with a mileage of 897 thousand miles (1.44 million kilometers). As they say, for the fun of it, he decided to “push” it to reach the 1 million mile mark. Luckily, in 2019, he managed it, and the car is still operational (although the engine consumes oil, and the differential and suspension had to be overhauled).

Mercedes-Benz 240D 1981

The good old 123 model is hard to “kill”… but the owner of this particular example, who bought it in 1983, wanted it to live as long as possible. That’s why he performed maintenance as often as possible (every 5,000 km), constantly cared for it, washed it, treated it, etc. The result was the first engine repair (not an overhaul) had to be done at 600,000 km, and 30 years ago, the owner replaced all the gaskets and repainted the body. As of 2020, the car’s mileage was 1.85 million kilometers.

Mercedes-Benz 250 SE 1966

This Mercedes has overcome 2 million kilometers over the years! It reached its first million in 1991 and the second relatively recently. Over 55 years, the engine was repaired several times (a total of 6 times), and the transmission was “restored” twice.

Lincoln Town Car 1983

An American bought this Lincoln second-hand, but at that time, the car’s mileage was minimal. The second owner drove it frequently and extensively, eventually driving over 2 million km. During this time, the original engine was only repaired once. In 2013, the car owner passed away, and what happened to the car remains unknown.

Plymouth Fury 1963

This Plymouth spent most of its life working in a taxi until the late ’90s! By that time, the total mileage exceeded 2.6 million kilometers. Unfortunately, the car’s fate was grim as it crashed into a truck. However, fate also showed generosity to this car, as Canadian actor Michel Barrette bought it in scrap condition, invested tens of thousands of dollars, and fully restored it. Regarding breakdowns during taxi service, the engine was changed 5 times, but the transmission was only disassembled once.

Volvo 245 GL 1979

The Volvo 200 series is said to be the Kalashnikov rifle on wheels, being reliable and unyielding… and this example serves as proof. Throughout its life, this Swedish “box” delivered mail and newspapers in Finland. Ultimately, the total mileage of the Volvo 245 reached 2.65 million kilometers! How many breakdowns were there, and how is it not on the trash heap? Well, the engine was first replaced at 600 thousand km, the second was faulty and ran just over a thousand kilometers, but the third served almost a million kilometers. Where is the car now? In the foyer of the logistics company where it worked.

Volvo P1800 1966

The absolute record holder in mileage is a Volvo from 1966. As TopZhyr already wrote, this Volvo P1800 has traveled nearly 5 million kilometers! To be precise, as of 2018, the Swedish classic had traveled 4,403,000 kilometers. But its owner, a former physics teacher, has passed away, and there is currently no accurate information on the fate of the car with the highest mileage in the world. Regarding breakdowns, despite the fantastic (even intergalactic) mileage, the car had no critical breakdowns during its operation (the owner mostly repaired it himself). Of course, the engine and transmission had to be changed, but otherwise, the car (as of 2108) was preserved very well and even did not rust.

How to Extend the Lifespan of a Car

In summary, we can draw some key conclusions on how to ensure your car lasts as long as possible and causes no problems. Naturally, it’s worth remembering that modern cars are “more disposable” than true old-school vehicles. Surpassing 100,000 km without breakdowns is quite impressive…

Nevertheless, there are basic recipes that will allow you to drive longer and repair your car less:

• Change the oil ideally twice as often as the manufacturer recommends (even better every 5 thousand km)
• Do not be stingy on quality parts, components, and technical fluids (especially engine and transmission oil)
• Washing the car every day is not necessary, but it is recommended to regularly rinse, wipe, and treat it with protective products (hard wax, Teflon, etc.)
• Whatever the recommendations, always warm up the engine a little before starting!
• In the first kilometers, try to drive smoothly and unhurriedly
• Don’t put it off when something goes wrong or starts to creak – do everything on time (or slightly earlier), then in theory, you can save money (no need to change assemblies and units entirely)
• Love your car. After all, if it moves, it means it’s alive…