How much do you think is the average duration for which any youngster these days would use one car? Let us take an optimistic 5-8 years on an average. After driving a car for so long, one is bound to look for a change. Thanks to the technological innovations and the best of research and development facilities, the automakers are coming up with newer products in lesser time. Buyers have a range of options to choose from. Existing owners are lured by the newer featured cars and the credit schemes available. It wouldn’t come as a surprise if a person starts switching cars just like how we change our mobile phones every year.
But, in today’s era what can come as a surprise is this piece of news. A man used his car for a good long 82 years. One car for 82 years is hard to believe. Even if the person had some personal attachment to the car, over the years, a machine is bound to age. But, this is a true story. Mr. Allen Swift from Springfield is the man who has driven his car till his death. In the year 1928, Mr. Swift received the Rolls-Royce Picadilly P1 Roadster from his father as a graduation gift. Ever since then, he had driven this machine for over 1,70,000 miles (2,72,000 kms). In the year 2005, at the age of 102, he breathed his last and the roadster was donated to a museum in Springfield.
What should come as another surprise is the condition of this age old beauty. It is still in the perfect cosmetic condition and runs smoothly. It definitely means that Mr. Swift had taken care of it in the best possible manner as a cherished gift from his beloved father. Few things in life cannot be replaced. However, it is the technological advancement of Rolls-Royce way back in 1920’s that keeps us spell-bound. For a machine to have survived for so long, the best of the minds might have been behind the scenes from Roll-Royce. Is there any other auto-major which can claim that their creation can last for so long too?
