93 Year Old Woman Gives Up 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente After 567,000 Miles
A 93 year old lady by the name of Rachel Veitch had built quite the bond with her 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente over the years before passing away in 2017, taking the milometer of the vehicle to over 567,000 miles.
We’ve done some maths here at Grand Tour Nation to show you just how far this feat is – the moon is approximately 238,855 miles away, so a round trip would still only be 477,710 miles – therefore Rachel had around 90,000 miles left over to nip to the shops and so forth.
The vehicle has outlasted 8 mufflers, 18 batteries and even 3 husbands the 93 year old woman said. Rachel bought the Mercury in February 1964, a time when petrol cost 39 cents per gallon and the brand new car only cost $3,289.
In a YouTube video, Rachel explains that the car has been featured in a number of car shows and had been renovated in 2002 – which would certainly help add a few more miles onto the clock. The renovation happened after she got caught doing 92mph in a 55mph zone – the need for speed certainly hasn’t been lost in this one!
Aside from the renovation, how did this car continue to survive for so long? When asked, Rachel explained:
“When I buy gas, I write down the mileage, the date and how many miles per gallon I got, I’ve never been a destructive person and I’ve just taken care of everything, except my husbands.”
There is something really endearing about owning a car for a lifetime and it being a faithful servant to all our needs whenever we need it. RIP Rachel and RIP to the Mercury Comet Caliente.
