Photo : Nissan

During the Chicago Auto Show, which is set to open in two days time, Nissan will have this delightful maroon Frontier on its stand. It will be sitting right alongside brand new Frontiers which will look more or less the same as this, as the D40 series made its debut back in 2004 and soldiers on today with little more than a minor facelift. The difference between a brand new Frontier and this gem owned by delivery driver Brian Murphy? Murphy’s has racked up more than 76,ooo miles per year!


According to the owner, he’s been sitting behind the steering wheel of this Red Brawn 2-wheel drive 4-cylinder manual transmission King Cab— which he purchased new in 2007— for around 50,000 hours. If you do the math on that, it’s an average of 20 miles per hour, including delivery stops. The man is a speed demon! And a goddamn legend to boot. A million miles, and it’s a stick!

“I had no doubt this truck would hit a million miles. It’s tough and gets great fuel economy, exactly what I need to get the job done,” said Murphy. “I change my own oil every 10,000 miles and drive carefully. Nothing major has been replaced on this truck, it’s really something.”


That maintenance has been key in getting the truck to do this kind of mileage. Murphy says the truck still has its original engine and transmission. He managed to get the clutch to last 801,000 miles, and replaced the timing chain prophylactically at 700,000 miles. The radiator and alternator were comparatively piss poor quality, and only managed to run 450,000 miles before needing replacement.

With that kind of mileage, I’d want to install one of those air absorbed seats that bus drivers and long haul truckers use. But Brian has sat his ass in the factory Nissan seat this whole time. Eventually getting a replacement factory seat at about the half million mark. Presumably the truck needs another seat now.

“Brian Murphy is the perfect Frontier customer. It’s encouraging to hear exceptional stories like this and to know our vehicles are dependably serving customers – let alone for a million miles,” said Tiago Castro, director, Nissan Commercial Vehicles.


Murphy has been a delivery driver for 45 years in the greater Chicago area. He began working as an independent freelance delivery driver in 2007 when he bought this truck. Murphy says he has never used a routefinding app or GPS unit, and he’s also never received a citation for moving violations.


Murphy is 63 now, and the truck is probably ready to be put out to pasture in a Nissan museum or something like that. He and his family were invited to the Chicago Auto Show by Nissan. I presume the company will be presenting Murphy with a new Frontier, but wouldn’t it be cooler if it just offered to pay Brian so that he wouldn’t have to work anymore? Maybe he could be some kind of spokesperson for the brand that he’s intimately familiar with.


If Nissan were planning to introduce a brand new Frontier in the near future, wouldn’t it be a great idea to have Mr. Murphy as the testament proof of a Frontier’s capabilities?


“My truck deserves to rest, but I’ve got to keep busy,” said Murphy.

That’s the saddest quote I think I’ve ever seen.