1999 Ford Focus Reaches 1 Million Kilometers

There must be nothing more pleasing for an automaker than to hear that one of the models it once produced achieved an important milestone in the hands of the average Joe customer. And the excitement must be even greater if you take into account that most of the original parts of the car are still in working order, decades and thousands of miles later.

The above pretty much sums up what an Austrian was able to do with his Ford Focus. The car, built in 1999, passed this week the 1 million km mark (621,371 miles), in the hands of a very loyal customer.

Perhaps the achievement of the driver and car pair wouldn't have been so remarkable hadn't the car lived through all those years without major surgery. The owner of the car says that in the 12 years that have passed since, he only had the engine revised once. Other than that, the car is pretty much the same one he bought in 1999.

Under the hood lies a 1.8 TDDi engine capable of 90 hp. The transmission has never been in need of repair, while the clutch only needed to be changed once.

"This car is a testament to the outstanding quality of the Ford Focus. With the introduction of the Ford Focus in 1998, we have set a milestone in Ford history in terms of dynamics, design, and vehicle quality,” said Ford Austria general director Steffen Knapp.

“This success story is not only continuing with the introduction of the new Ford Focus in April 2011, but leads the Ford offer to the next level in regards to technology, environmental friendliness, safety and vehicle quality."