One Million Miles

Victor Anderson’s “girlfriend,” his 1966 Mustang hardtop, has been a daily driver for 50 years—and a million miles!

- Jim Smart

The sound of a vintage Autolite starter resonates throughout the garage of this cozy Belmont, California, neighborhood. With a light puff of condensation and unburned hydrocarbon emissions from a pair of GT exhaust trumpets, a 289 V-8 sporting one million miles roars to life through a throaty pair of Cadillacspec mufflers. Victor Anderson’s 1966 Mustang hardtop in rich Wimbledon White with red accent stripes has just begun its next million miles.

This is a classic Mustang that has been driven more than one million miles in 50 years. “I drive a lowly 1966 Mustang with a 289 V-8. I’ve been driving this classic car daily to work in San Francisco and all around California since 1988. I drive 25,000 miles a year,” Victor says. “My father, Allan Anderson, purchased this Ford dealer trade-in back in 1972 and drove it daily until he gave it to me in 1988.”

Like a lot of people cruising past Town Ford in Redwood City, California, in the early ’70s, the Mustang caught Allan’s eye. He stopped by and spoke with a salesman who said the car was “priced right” at $1,100. However, Allan couldn’t help but notice the car had a lot of miles for its age. No deal.

Allan walked out of Town Ford deciding not to buy the Mustang. However, he never forgot his raw lust toward the white Mustang V-8 hardtop. He wanted that car. After a lot of haggling with Town Ford, Victor’s father drove off the lot in the Mustang for $900, and it has been in the Anderson family ever since.