Larry, a 98-year-old lifelong car enthusiast from Farmington, New Mexico, has become one of the oldest known buyers of a Tesla Model Y equipped with Full Self-Driving (FSD). Having owned over a hundred cars across his lifetime—starting with a 1931 Ford Model A in high school, followed by five Ford Mustangs and a V8-powered BMW 750—Larry decided to make the switch to an electric vehicle. He purchased a silver Model Y with 19-inch Crossflow wheels from Arizona, picked it up in Albuquerque, and opted for a monthly subscription to Tesla’s FSD (Supervised) software.
Why He Chose Full Self-Driving After eight decades behind the wheel, Larry turned to FSD to ease the friction of daily driving, particularly at busy intersections where he no longer wants to stress over finding gaps while cars queue up behind him.
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Safety & Vigilance: He emphasizes that he remains fully alert with his eyes on the road at all times, occasionally overriding the car or taking a preferred route, and reports zero problems with the technology so far. He even credits FSD with automatically braking to save a chipmunk’s life.
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Everyday Practicality: Larry quickly grew accustomed to public charging, noting that a 25-minute stop is “no big deal,” and complements home charging for daily use. He has already taken the vehicle on a 400-mile weekend trip to Colorado. His wife was so impressed by the experience that she ordered her own Model Y in a different color.
“Mustangs Don’t Stand a Chance” During a test drive with Andre Smirnov of The Fast Lane Car, Larry spotted a Ford Mustang lingering nearby and playfully remarked that the muscle car “doesn’t stand a chance,” proudly referencing the Model Y’s instantaneous electric acceleration.
