Teppo Uotinen needed a car that was robust and reliable. In Finland, the distances are long, workshops rare. The young engineer regularly had to drive long distances across the country for his employer. That was in 2007. He found an Astra G, nine years old, 181,000 kilometres on the odometer, two previous owners. An Opel? Fine. His parents drove Opel, and he himself had driven an inherited Kadett E as a student – also a loyal companion. It is therefore no surprise that he snatched at the opportunity. And since then, the Astra has clocking up the kilometres – and just keeps on going.

At some point, Uotinen set himself a goal: to crack the million-kilometre mark. After his Astra had completed the milestone, Uotinen decided to drive another 180,000 kilometres in it to complete his personal million. The Finn and his Astra have been inseparable for a long time. Only twice in all these years did the reliable estate have to undergo major repairs. The first rust repair? After 17 years. The toughest test? An 18-hour drive from Finland’s southwest coast, where Uotinen lives, to the Kola Peninsula in Russia – for „ski mountaineering“, a Scandinavian extreme sport.

The 51-year-old is particularly enthusiastic when it comes to the consumption of his Astra: „With the last tank of fuel, I drove over 1,000 kilometres – less than five litres per 100 kilometres.“ The maintenance? Every 30,000 kilometres, a long-life oil service at Opel. That’s all it takes. That’s why Uotinen also has words of praise for the „father“ of the indestructible engine: “Fritz Indra is a genius.” The Austrian headed engine development at Opel from 1985 to 1998. Under his leadership, the legendary C20XE was created – and also the X20DTL, which makes Uotinen’s Astra a mileage hero.

Car as a cultural asset

In any case, the Finn is a “car guy” through and through. Even as a student, he joined a club that promotes technical knowledge about cars, sees motorsport as a hobby and advocates for better driving skills and traffic culture. And what’s next for his Astra? “At some point it will have to retire,“ Uotinen admits. “That could be soon.” He finds solace in choice of car in the summer months – his Opel Speedster.