102 year old man with an 82 year old car

[Jenn]

Comment: This has to be a record for car ownership! Mr. Allen Swift
(Springfield, MA.) received this 1928 Rolls-Royce Picadilly P 1 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 from new. Just thought you'd like to
see it. He donated it to a Springfield museum after his death. It has 170,000
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 2000 miles
per year...

[llewtrah]

Haven't seen any car/owner relationships as long as this, but at a recent country show there were quite a few very elderly cars that had been owned by the same person since new though quite a few of those were now driven by a descendent of the original owner. Some were immaculate and the bodywork and interior were all original rather than restored. One only had 7000 on the clock - I think it was only used for going to church and it goes to shows on a low loader (not insured or taxed to be driven on the public highway).

[One-Fang]

"dead silent at any speed"

I'm thinking not.

[Don Enrico]

The story seems to be legit*: In 2006, Mr. Allen Swift donated $1 million and his Rolls-Royce to the Springfield museum (press release). It became the founding stock of the Museum of Springfield History.

*well, "legit" in the sense that there was a Mr. Allen Swift who owned a Rolls-Royce for a long time. "Last year", however, means "2006", and that makes the time of ownership 78 years (1928 - 2006), not 82 years (1928 - 2010). And he donated it to the museum before he died, not after his death (which would have been difficult, anyway).

Don Enrico

[llewtrah]

Originally Posted by Don Enrico

And he donated it to the museum before he died, not after his death (which would have been difficult, anyway).

Why would it be difficult? It just needs to be a term in his will that it's donated to the museum. The will would be implemented after his death therefore the donation itself would be after his death.

[Don Enrico]

Than it's maybe my lacking knowledge of the English language. To me, "to donate" would mean an act between living persons (or entities), while giving something in the will would be "to leave" or "to device".

Don Enrico

[Mr. Furious]

Originally Posted by One-Fang

"dead silent at any speed"

I'm thinking not.

Well, not if you count the screams of motorists and pedestrians on or near the same roadway.

[llewtrah]

Originally Posted by Don Enrico

Than it's maybe my lacking knowledge of the English language. To me, "to donate" would mean an act between living persons (or entities), while giving something in the will would be "to leave" or "to device".

I haven't come across "to device", but I'd normally expect "to leave" or "to bequeath" (in a will), but "to donate" would be okay as well, just less usual (though "donate" might suggest someone had already said a possession would be given to so-and-so when the owner died). English can be used in a wonderfully imprecise way and still be comprehensible (to be completely incomprehensibe we use very precise English of course )

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

Originally Posted by llewtrah

I haven't come across "to device", but I'd normally expect "to leave" or "to bequeath" (in a will),

I think he meant devise, "to give or transmit by will"

Seaboe

[Don Enrico]

Oops. Yes, that's what I meant. See my signature.

Don Enrico

[Eddylizard]

Originally Posted by llewtrah

(to be completely incomprehensibe we use very precise English of course )

Like that bloke that used to announce the acts on The Good Old Days? No-one had a clue what he was talking about. We just sort of guessed it might be complimentary.

[llewtrah]

Originally Posted by Eddylizard

Like that bloke that used to announce the acts on The Good Old Days? No-one had a clue what he was talking about. We just sort of guessed it might be complimentary.

I used to enjoy the Good Old Days.

Originally Posted by llewtrah

I haven't come across "to device", but I'd normally expect "to leave" or "to bequeath" (in a will), but "to donate" would be okay as well, just less usual (though "donate" might suggest someone had already said a possession would be given to so-and-so when the owner died). English can be used in a wonderfully imprecise way and still be comprehensible (to be completely incomprehensibe we use very precise English of course )

I believe the word Don Enrico meant to use "devise" which is the act of disposing of property, especially real property, by will. Interesting how slowly these stories make their way around the world. This particular email only landed in my inbox today - a year after your comments and 5 years after his death!

The interesting aspect for me about this story - apart from his long ownership of the Rolls - is that he died the month after he struck the deal with the museum and handed over the $1,000,000 for the purchase of the building. It's as though, now that his beloved car was going to its final resting place, he went to his!