Can you imagine even having the same car for 82 years?
Mr. Allen Swift ( Springfield , MA )
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 last
year ... 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.
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 kilometers!!
That's British engineering of a bygone
era. I don't think they make them like this any more.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some additional info on Mr. Swift - what a very, very generous man! :
Springfield Museums Press Releases
New Springfield History Museum Made Possible by Connecticut Entrepreneur
General Museum News
January 30, 2006
The Springfield Museums have received a gift of
$1,000,000 from Mr. Allen Swift of West Hartford to purchase the Verizon
building at 85 Chestnut Street in Springfield for the purpose of
creating a new history museum. Swift also donated his 1928, one-owner,
Springfield-built Rolls-Royce automobile to form the basis of the new
museum's transportation collection.
Swift, who died in
October 2005 at the age of 102, was a legend among Rolls-Royce
collectors for owning his green Phantom I, S273 FP Rolls longer than
anyone in the world had ever owned an individual Rolls-Royce. In
recognition of that fact, Rolls-Royce Motors presented him with a
crystal Spirit of Ecstasy award at the Rolls-Royce Annual Meeting in 1994.
Swift and the Springfield Museums were brought together through a network of antique automobile collectors. In 2002, when he was 99 years old, he approached the Museums to discuss finding a new home for his Rolls-Royce. Confident in the Springfield Museums' ability to care for the automobile and to tell the story of Rolls-Royce manufacturing in Springfield, Swift indicated that he would donate his car if a building could be found to house it.
In the summer of 2005, the Springfield Museums became aware that the Verizon building, adjacent to the Museums, was available for purchase. Joseph Carvalho, president of the Springfield Museums, and Guy McLain, director of the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum, shared that information with Swift and described how the building could be converted into a museum. In September, Swift's attorney informed the Museums that Swift would donate the money to purchase the building.
The Springfield Museums will take possession of the building in June and will launch a fund-raising campaign to renovate it. When complete, the new Museum of Springfield History will display wide range of remarkable artifacts that tell the rich and multidimensional history of this city.
Swift and the Springfield Museums were brought together through a network of antique automobile collectors. In 2002, when he was 99 years old, he approached the Museums to discuss finding a new home for his Rolls-Royce. Confident in the Springfield Museums' ability to care for the automobile and to tell the story of Rolls-Royce manufacturing in Springfield, Swift indicated that he would donate his car if a building could be found to house it.
In the summer of 2005, the Springfield Museums became aware that the Verizon building, adjacent to the Museums, was available for purchase. Joseph Carvalho, president of the Springfield Museums, and Guy McLain, director of the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum, shared that information with Swift and described how the building could be converted into a museum. In September, Swift's attorney informed the Museums that Swift would donate the money to purchase the building.
The Springfield Museums will take possession of the building in June and will launch a fund-raising campaign to renovate it. When complete, the new Museum of Springfield History will display wide range of remarkable artifacts that tell the rich and multidimensional history of this city.
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