IRV GORDON

When the late Irv Gordon purchased his new Volvo P1800S in 1966, he never imagined what the future would hold. Together they established a new world record for miles driven on a non-commercial original owner vehicle!  This record was initially certified in 1998 at 1.69 million miles and then again in 2009 at 2.721 million miles, but his journey didn’t end there.  Irv surpassed 3 million miles on September 13, 2013 on Alaska’s Seward Highway, one of only 2 U.S. states he had yet to visit.  Even more amazing, he managed these feats without experiencing any level of failure.  So, how far is 3 million miles?  To put it in perspective, if the first vehicle ever produced, the 1886 Benz patent motorwagen had been driven 15,000 miles each year since the day it was manufactured it would still be more than 1 million miles behind Irv!

Irv drove his Volvo the equivalent distance of every stretch of road in the U.S. at least once as well as in 9 foreign countries.  But, throughout the years and over the course of all these miles and countless stops along the way – there was one common factor: Castrol/GTX protecting his engine.  Irv began using Castrol based on the recommendation from his dealer and  used GTX continuously since the brand was launched in 1968. So, Castrol GTX was an integral part of Irv’s record setting journey – delivering on the brands promise of “Helps Extend Engine Life.”  In fact, we consider Irv and his car a true demonstration of our brand proposition and are thrilled to celebrate his achievement.