Quick, what's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente with 576,000 miles on it? You probably envisioned it being restored, housed in a glass case a la Cameron's dad's Ferrari in 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off,' right? It's surely not street legal or safe any longer, right? Wrong.

Ninety-three year old Rachel Veitch is finally retiring the functioning vehicle. We know, we're more terrified of the fact that someone that old is still driving, but she's taking the ride out of active service not because it's a POS, but because she has macular degeneration and can't drive any longer.

"I am legally blind, so I can no longer drive my lovely Chariot," Veitch told FOX News about her wheels. "They don't have to take it away, I would not dream of driving that car again." She ran a red light while driving, forcing her to make the decision to hand the keys over, so to speak. She's not giving the car up easily or parting with it; she's just not driving the 48-year-old vehicle. Well, this just got all depressing, so back to the car.

Veitch revealed the car outlasted three marriages, three sets of shocks, eight mufflers and 18 batteries. She plunked down just under $3,300 for it at the time of sale. She was disciplined with maintenance, and that's why it outlasted her hubbies. They died because she never changed their oil.

She might sell the vehicle to noted car collector Jay Leno, on whose show she appeared in 2010, since he'd take care of it. Her four kids, nine grandkids and 11 great-grandkids stand no chance of having the car bequeathed to 'em. "They're not going to get it. They couldn't take care of it like I did," the feisty nonagenarian said.

If only that back seat could tell stories. Hopefully those stories end around 1977.

[Via FOX News]

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