ST. LOUIS (KTVI) – A lot has changed since 1991, but not Jim O’Shea’s car. The Missouri man recently drove his Volvo 740 GLE past the 1 million-mile mark.
“The good thing about this car is, it can’t get me in any trouble because it goes about 75 mph tops," said O’Shea, of St. Louis County. "They made it so that the common man like myself can just replace the bulbs, you know, and everything just pulls right out."
Thirty years, two engines and two transmissions later, the Swedish sedan still runs despite its rust. And O’Shea said the maintenance on it is "slim to none."
"It's a mechanic's dream," said O’Shea. “Never been in any accidents," he added, though he said it's "been hit by my wife three times in my driveway."
Looking back, O’Shea remembers catching heat for buying the car in the first place.
“My dad’s brother was running a Ford dealer, and he said, 'You can only buy Fords.' I brought this home, and he didn’t talk to me for a while. I said to him, 'I guarantee you I will get a million miles out of this car,' and I did," said O’Shea.
On his way to work Friday, O’Shea became the 1 million-mile man. The odometer only goes to 999,999, so when it hit the milestone, it reset to all zeroes.
“It didn’t hit me until I thought about what I told my dad. Since he’s no longer with us, I couldn’t rub it in his face," said O’Shea.
Now, O'Shea’s wondering if the miles and maintenance might pay off for him.
“Back when I purchased the car from West County Volvo, a guy rolled in with a 1961," said O'Shea. "I don’t know the model number, but they flipped him the keys to a new car because he had a million miles. The light bulb went off in my head. If he can do it, I can do it. So, I did it!”
And the car is showing no signs of being close to the junkyard.
“Somebody want to buy it? It’s for sale. It’s a ’91 with one mile on it. That’s what it says on the odometer right now," said O’Shea.
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