Original One Owner... Elder Driven- But Not Low Miles

A 91-year-old woman has been documented driving one car, a 1964 Mercury Comet "Caliente" for 46 years- and 562,000 miles.

Evidently- the car has outlasted her three marriages and even the mechanic- he retired.

The secret? A lot of money, no... A lot of love.

For the monies invested in this, seemingly mostly-original '64 Comet- she could have bought a fleet of over a dozen '64 Comets- a car which price was around $3200 in 1964.

But the kicker is the monies saved having invested in the "lifetime warranty," that little-itty-bit of documentation the auto manufacturers know you're never going to take-advantage of...

Batteries, shocks, even exhausts have been taken-care-of for decades because of the lifetime warranty deal- probably enough times over to make-up for all the warranties not honored by everyone else.

I believe the one car, one owner, over half-a-million miles- but what I don't understand- is the original engine block.

I'm not saying it's bullshit- but... For a car like this- highly unlikely. What they fail to mention is- how many times the engine has been completely torn-down and rebuilt.

I'd also like to know how many times it's been bored-over too...

For as much as people like to say "oh, cars were made better 40, 50 years ago" the truth is- they really weren't.

Old cars rusted, their systems- especially the electrical systems and ignitions- fried-out... The engines, for as powerful as they were- weren't built to the standards and tolerances engines today are.

This car, the Mercury is... the rare exception.

When I was a little kid- it was possible to see a lot of 1950's and '60s American Iron still being used as faithful transportation- after all- these era cars were just 15 or 20 years old then- but, to see a car like the '64 Mercury being driven everyday is indeed rare.

My babysitter growing up, an elderly lady in her (then) late-sixties or so (she's long-dead now)- drove a 1962 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe, 283-cubic-inch V8... Turquoise Metallic with a matching, Sport-Tone Interior.

Mrs. Hughes '62 Impala was hers since new- but- at the time being around 25-years-old- was far from immaculate- it constantly had one tire in the crusher, or was just a repair bill away from being totally un-drivable.... and maybe (maybe) had 100,000 miles on it.
A little known-fact- cars "back in the day" if they had 100,000 miles on them- it was time for a new car- seriously.

So- to see an old car with over 500,000 is the rare exception- at any age, and or investment.

Mercury, the brand, is soon gone- but it's nice to see one vintage one left- that will be around for- as long as its original owner is still being.... and in love- and still under a lifetime warranty.