1990 Honda Accord breaks million-mile mark

There's no better proof of the merits of properly maintaining your car than Joe LoCicero and his 1990 Honda Accord. "True Blue" (yes, "she" has a name) passed the million-mile mark last week.

How can one car get that far? Kelley Bouchard reported in The Portland Press Herald of Maine:

LoCicero bought the older Honda in 1996, when it had 74,000 miles on it. He kept it running with diligent maintenance, keeping track of every fill-up, tire rotation and oil change in a couple of dozen notebooks.

Thus, LoCicero, of Norway, Maine, is a model of frugal car ownership, buying used and then taking good care of it. It doesn't hurt that he was a mechanic for 18 years before becoming a claims adjuster about 15 years ago, a job that requires him to travel a lot.

Other details about the vehicle:

• It was manufactured in Ohio.
• LoCicero drove it an average of 62,500 miles a year. He drives safely, which no doubt helps his car insurance rates.
• He follows the manufacturer's maintenance schedule. (It's a good idea to keep track of what the owner's manual calls for.) Post continues after video.

• He has taken more than 661 photos of the odometer. (He knew he was on to something.)
• The car has the original engine and transmission, he says. He has replaced the radiator, cooling fans and fuel pump twice, according to the Honda Mile Makers website.

Other things, like the upholstery, have been replaced, too. Bouchard adds:

The fuel pump blew at 741,000 miles, drawing laughter from his kids when the car had to be towed.

"They thought it was the funniest thing that it finally broke down," Joe LoCicero said.

Darling Auto Group and Honda sponsored a small-town parade for LoCicero and his ride -- named after its exterior color as well as dependability -- on Sunday and gave him the keys to a brand spanking new 2012 Accord. Darling's Honda in Bangor brought True Blue to Honda corporate's attention after LoCicero showed her off to the dealership close to the 938,000 mark. 

Meanwhile, the comments at the special Facebook page are pouring in. You can see a cute video about the car at The Huffington Post.

LoCicero is believed to be the first person whose Honda exceeded 1 million miles, but it's not the first car to reach that milestone. The Wall Street Journal reported:

Irv Gordon, who owns a 1966 Volvo P1800, crossed the million-mile mark a decade ago and has become a sort of mileage mascot for the Swedish car maker. These days he's headed toward 3 million miles, as described in Automobile Magazine.

What do you think is behind LoCicero's record? Honda reliability, expert maintenance, or some of both, plus a bit of luck?

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