Illinois grandmother, 79, dubbed 'Annie the hot rod granny' after high-speed road trip in old school Cadillac

A grandmother and son embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime road trip in a vintage Caddy.

Annie Koehler, 79, and Jamie Hutchins, 60, completed the cross-country excursion last month - traveling 4,200 miles in nine days with the windows down.

The duo traveled across the US - from Illinois to Santa Monica - in a Cadillac he custom-made.

Despite dating back to 1957, the Deville made it an astounding 4,200 miles in nine days, Koehler said in an interview - noting how the trip was all done with 'the windows down.'

The retired trucker also said she needs a new set of tires - after making the journey at 90 mph and winning a couple 'burnout' competitions on the way.

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'When they see this white hair and that white car, they just go nuts,' Koehler said of motorists that attend such contests.

Of the practice that sees drivers stomp the brake and gas at the same time to create a plume of smoke, the Jersey County woman warned with a laugh: 'It will smoke the tires.'

She showed the station a shredded set as proof, as footage showed her literally smoking the competition.

Koehler, also the author of a wholesome picture book, took home a couple trophies as a result.

But the story doesn't end there, and also stems back to Koehler's days as a truck driver in the 70s.

'I did truck-driving. Had some luck with music in Nashville,' the modern-day renaissance woman recalled.

'I've given all that up now to paint and draw.'

With free time on her hands, the Medora woman now makes use of the car her son specially constructed for her with her talents in mind - not to mention style.

'My mom was always the coolest mom in the neighborhood,' the Bethalto resident remembered, speaking from the racing engine shop he owns in town.

That's where he built the 1957 Caddy as a gift for his mother - a truck driver, artist, writer, and musician who's seemingly done it all.

And true to her trucker temperament, she took to the sedan as if it were second-nature.

'She goes everywhere in it,' her son said.

'And, I liked it the moment I saw it,' his young-at-heart mom eagerly added.

She liked it so much, she decided to embark on the trip with Hutchins just last month.

'It was a long trip, and it was a lot of fun,' he recalled, thinking back to the memories forged from the experience.

'Forty-two hundred miles in nine days, windows down, and 400 gallons of gas,' his mom added.

'All the way to Santa Monica.'

During the trip, Koehler's success at the couple of burnout competitions earned her the nickname 'Annie the Hot Rod Granny' - along with a cult fanbase amazed by her exploits.

But for this woman from Jersey County, life is an adventure - one that she's set to continue when she secures a new set of wheels.

So what's next after that for this old girl?

Whatever the road - and around 500 horses - will take her.

For now, she'll stay at home with her husband Rick at their home in Medora.

Hutchins, meanwhile, is just a short drive away - with the Caddy sure the tool used to close the distance.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Koehler for comment.