Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Shackeng on 21 January 2016, 09:33:08
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THIS MAN OWNED AND DROVE THE SAME CAR FOR 82 YEARS!!!!
Mr. Allen Swift: Born - 1908 - Died 2010
This man owned & drove the same car for 82 YEARS.
Can you imagine even having the same car for 82 years?
Mr. Allen Swift (Springfield, Massachusetts) received this 1928 Rolls-Royce Piccadilly-P1 Roadster from his father, brand new - as a graduation gift in 1928.
He drove it up until his death
in 2010
... at the age of 102!!!
He was the oldest living owner of a car that was purchased new.
Just thought you'd like to see it.
It was donated to a Springfield museum after his death.
It has 1,070,000 miles on it, still runs like a Swiss watch, dead silent at any speed and is in perfect cosmetic condition.
82 years - That's approximately 13,048 miles per year (1087 per month)...
1,070,000 that's miles not kilometres!!
That's British engineering of a bygone era. I don't think they make them like this anymore.
There was a nice pic of it, but I don't know how to copy it here, it wouldn't paste.
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One of those internet rumours, though happily not far from the truth, actually.
source: https://www.truthorfiction.com/allan-swift-rolls-050613/ (https://www.truthorfiction.com/allan-swift-rolls-050613/)
The eRumor is true but some of the details are wrong.
The man in the photo is Allan Swift of West Hartford, CT and the car he posed with was his 1928 Rolls Royce Phantom I, which he bought new and drove for close to 77 years. This according to a January 30, 2006 press release by the Springfield Museum in Massachusetts.
When Swift died at the age of 102 in October of 2005 it was his wish that someone take over the legacy of this classic car and maintain it in running condition. This took some planning and thanks to the efforts of a network of antique car collectors Swift and the Springfield Museum organization began negotiations in 2002 to return the Rolls to the city where it was built. In the 1920’s the British based Roll Royce company had a plant in Springfield, MA where 2,944 vehicles were produced.
Two months prior to his death, Swift donated $1,000,000 to the Springfield Museums to purchase the Verizon Building in Springfield so that it could be remodeled into a new history museum for the community. The museum opened in 2006 and proudly displays Swift’s Rolls Royce along with a collection of other cars and Indian motorcycles.
In 1994 Swift was presented a crystal Spirit of Ecstasy award by Rolls-Royce Motors for holding the record of the longest ownership of one of their automobiles.
(https://8295-presscdn-0-5-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/1928Rolls.jpg)
Brilliant story, thanks for bringing it to our attention. :) Lucky he didn't own a Vauxhall, or they'd have sent it to the scrappage scheme!
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Deleted as exactly the same as DBG's post.
Lovely story though :y
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Haha, no worries!! 8)
First time I've beaten someone to a reply. :D
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As you say that's some achievement.
But considering when and where they bought it, it was probably an American Rolls Royce .
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Also mine came with a picture - I'm turning into Rob G ;D :y
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As you say that's some achievement.
But considering when and where they bought it, it was probably an American Rolls Royce .
It was. But still British design and build standard.
Also mine came with a picture - I'm turning into Rob G ;D :y
You still have a way to go ;) I was even quoting the same source as you!
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Haha!! I only have one car boot, one old bedroom and one bootful of Omega spares, so definitely a long way to go to get near to Rob :)
It's an odd little quirk in Car Design which most people probably aren't aware of, there were US-built Rolls Royces (and also Merlins built by Packhard)
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Similar colour to STMO's Astra?
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That's a lovely car! :-* :y
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Haha!! I only have one car boot, one old bedroom and one bootful of Omega spares, so definitely a long way to go to get near to Rob :)
It's an odd little quirk in Car Design which most people probably aren't aware of, there were US-built Rolls Royces (and also Merlins built by Packhard)
What no shed ??? Every omega owner needs a shed of some sort ;D
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Haha, noo, sadly, live in a flat, with designated parking at rear... My mate's just moving into a place with a back yard and a shed... he doesn't know I'm going to
ask insist I store some of my bits in there, yet! :D
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Just put your own shed up in his garden, no problem :y
Keith ABS
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Why don't you use the ABS club money to buy a house with plot of land behind? Somewhere we can all go to escape, and sit and tinker with cars all day? :D