Car going strong at 558,000 miles

ORLANDO, Fla., June 29 (UPI) -- A 90-year-old Florida woman said the Mercury Comet Caliente she purchased in 1964 is still going strong 558,000 miles later.

Rachel Veitch of Orlando, a retired nurse who volunteers several days a week at an Orlando Police Department office, said the car, which she calls "Chariot," has lasted her through 45 years and three husbands, the Orlando Sentinel reported Monday.

"I'll tell you something: This little Chariot has never lied to me, never cheated on me, and I can always depend on it," Veitch said.

She said the secret behind her car's longevity is simply taking good care of it.

"I was never a destructive child," she said. "I still have the first doll I was ever given. I've taken care of most everything I've ever had, except for husbands."

Veitch, who dutifully has Chariot's oil changed every 3,000 miles, said she looks forward to watching the odometer turn over to 600,000 miles.

"I'll make that," she said, "if I live long enough. I tell people, 'Except for the congestive heart failure, a stroke and a double mastectomy, I'm in great shape!'"