Brace yourself; there’s a heartwarming Ford Mustang story ahead. It’s always great to hear a story of a family that has kept a loved one’s car around for ages. It’s already impressive enough to keep a car in good shape over several decades. However, this story carries an even more remarkable detail; the family that owns this car has driven it nearly every day for 50 years. The title is no joke, either. This old 1966 Mustang has over one million miles on it.
A family heirloom that’s been kept alive for decades
1966 Ford Mustang | National Motor Museum/Heritage Images/Getty Images
According to MotorTrend, Allan Anderson saw this hardtop 1966 Mustang Coupe for sale in 1972 for a fairly reasonable asking price of $1,100. However, Anderson opted not to purchase the car due to its high mileage, ironically. He left the dealership but couldn’t get the classic Mustang out of his head and eventually returned. He negotiated a deal with the dealership and left with the Mustang for $900.
Fast forward through 18 years of driving. Allan’s son Victor was the only one who showed much interest in the car, so he passed it down to him. Since 1988, Victor has kept the classic Mustang as a daily driver, putting 25,000 miles annually on it. Between the original owner of the car, his father, and Victor himself, this Mustang has accumulated over one million miles since it was new.
Wimbledon White 1966 Mustang | National Motor Museum/Heritage Images/Getty Images
Of course, the Mustang only has a six-digit odometer. So, it has now rolled over a total of 10 times. Obviously, a car is bound to have some mechanical issues throughout a million miles. However, what is most surprising about this car is how much of it is actually original.
The Mustang’s 289 cubic-inch V8 still retains its original block, heads, and even the flat tappet camshaft. It has been overhauled every 250,000 miles, though. Additionally, all the machining over the years has led to .060-inch overbore sizing, which, unfortunately, is the maximum bore a small block Ford can take. So, the next overhaul may require replacing the engine block. However, the original C4 automatic transmission and rear-end are also still original. Of course, those, too, have been rebuilt a couple of times.
This Mustang has seen it all, including crashes that rendered it totaled
Victor commutes daily through San Fransisco. If you’re familiar with the traffic, you’d know driving thousands of miles through that city is almost impossible without sustaining some damage.
“Five years ago, the Mustang was rear-ended by a Toyota doing 45 mph when I was stopped at a traffic light. The car sustained $15,000 in damage,” said Victor.
Unbelievably, he has such attention to detail that he even recovered the vintage black and yellow California license plate and restored it, too.
Of course, Victor has modified the Mustang a bit to suit his taste and modernize it a bit. He installed a set of sealed beam halogen headlights that retain the original look but offer a more modern brightness and light pattern. Additionally, he has an engine bay dress-up kit, a custom exhaust, aftermarket wheels with redline tires, and adjustable shocks. Furthermore, some modern commodities like a remote trunk release, sound deadening, and a headlight warning buzzer makes it more usable in a modern setting.
Overall, Victor’s Mustang, which his wife calls his girlfriend, is nothing short of astonishing. It’s always amazing to see a car so loved and maintained. It’s especially impressive in this case, given the unfathomable mileage. In fact, it crossed over the one million mile mark in January 2017. So, it’s safe to assume that it’s got another 75,000 miles on the clock by now. That means it has enough miles to have been to the moon and back twice.
Hopefully, Victor will keep this beauty on the road for years to come. Maybe someday his son, too, will drive it every day.
Keyword: Million Mile Mustang Has Been in The Same Family for 50 Years