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Vincent Dransfield is living proof of what a strong community and a lot of luck can afford you. After all, only about 10% of supercentenarians – folks who make it to 110 or more years – are female, for mostly unknown reasons. Dransfield, who is 110 years old, still drives his Hyundai Sonata daily, usually to get coffee.

Dransfield has evaded any major disease or condition despite smoking from age 50 to 70. He has one child, which has led to seven great-grandchildren.

Born in 1914, Dransfield credits many things for his longevity. At 15, he started work on a farm and had limitless access to milk and other whole foods. This was during the Great Depression when many went without proper nutrition. He served as a volunteer firefighter in Little Falls, New Jersey, for an incredible 80 years. After his wife died in 1992, visiting the firehouse for his ‘3 to 5’ social hour shift helped him immensely.

Erica Lista is Dransfield’s granddaughter and sees him regularly. “After my grandmother passed away, that’s really what kept him going. Every day, he would go to the firehouse from 3 to 5, and all the old guys would sit there and hang out. That was like his family,” she told TODAY.com. Lista and her brother bring him groceries and check on his driving skills often.

His family and friends socialize with Dransfield frequently, and he remains active daily. He’s never followed a specific diet or structured workout, which he mocks. He drinks Ovaltine and gets out of the house.

“Knowing people and loving people makes me live longer,” Dransfield asserts.

The Hyundai Sonata is only 35 years old

A dark grey 2012 Hyundai Sonata driving in right front angle view
2012 Hyundai Sonata | Hyundai

The Hyundai Sonata has been on the market since 1989. Now in its eighth generation, the Sonata has followed the styling of the same-class sedans, morphing from a thin, boxy body to sportier, sleeker lines.

Compared to competitors, repair and maintenance costs for the Sonata tend to be lower than average. Over the years, the model has received numerous awards for safety, design, and consumer choice or satisfaction awards, including Best Family Sedan.

Dransfield parks his silver Hyundai Sonata in his garage and uses it as he pleases.