| Car Life
Oldest Car in the World Odometer at 890000

Has your car been around the block more times than most? Then it sounds like you bought a reliable vehicle and you’ve taken great care of it. Congrats! Your car’s history is like a badge of honor.

As your older car becomes part of the family, it also joins some great company. Check out these seven cars that have gotten better with age.

3 of the Oldest Cars in the World

Our survey of old cars includes a few that go back quite a way. None of them, though, match the stats of these crazy-old clunkers.

Take the Cugnot Steamer, for example. There’s no question it’s older than your ride — because it’s the world’s first working automobile! The Cugnot Steamer hit the road in 1769, powered by—you guessed it—steam. You can still see working replicas of the Cugnot Steamer in automobile museums around the world!

Compared to the Cugnot Steamer, the Grenville Steam Carriage is a little whippersnapper. Debuting in 1875 nearly a century after the Cugnot Steamer, the Grenville Steam Carriage still offers rides to folks who visit its home at England’s National Motor Museum in Beaulieu.

The granddaddy of them all would have to be La Marquise, billed as the oldest car in the world still running. Good luck taking this 1884 oldie for a spin, though. The vehicle is fueled by coal, wood, and paper shreds, and sold at auction in 2011 for a whopping $4.6 million!

2 Cars with the Oldest Designs

James Bond is known for reinventing himself when the mission calls for it. But this super spy’s favorite automobile manufacturer? Not so much. Aston Martin has kept the DB9’s design the same for 11 years and counting. Looks like this car design is one that’ll have to “Die Another Day.”

The Chevrolet Express deserves an honorable mention, too. The last time its design received a refresh, Bill Clinton was still President of the United States. We’re talking 1996! That makes its design older than the Aston Martin’s, but we’re parking it in the “honorable mention” category since the Express is a cargo van.

2 Everyday Cars with the Most Mileage

As Indiana Jones once remarked, “It’s not the years; it’s the mileage.” Putting enough miles on a relatively young vehicle can make it, in a way, “old.” (Though our hats go off to the following vehicle owners.)

Let’s talk miles. Does a used 2006 Ford Mustang GT with 890,000 miles on it sound kinda unbelievable to you? It’s time to believe. Check its red leather seats and epic odometer on AutoTrader.

Browse AutoTrader and you’ll find cars as new as 2017 with odometers pushing 700,000, like this used 2017 Nissan Altima 2.5 S.

How’d these owners push their engines well over 200,000 miles? We bet they followed these car care tips.

1 Benefit to Older Cars You Can’t Overlook!

No matter how old your car is, we can help it stay on the road with cheap car insurance and quality Roadside Assistance. We offer discounts and benefits for cars of all ages — provided they don’t run on steam! Call 1-877-GO-DIRECT (1-877-463-4732), click to get a quote online, or come into a Direct Auto Insurance location near you today to learn more.