The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-03-23
LONGEVITY OF
The MOTOR CAR
sTUpEsAKER CORPORATION IS
MAKING SOME INTERESTING
TESTS TO FIND OUT HOW LONG
A CAR WILL LlVE-uSE "5uL-
LET FOR TEST. ....

More than a year ago, the Stude-
corporation announced it's in
tention OF testing one Of its cars to
determine a mileage which might
justly be said to limit the life Of an
automobile. The a picked for the
experiment. was the famous Bullet,
EMF 800 which then owned an
authentic mileage of $4,000, earned in
the services of the EMF Atlanta Co.,
and its manager, George w. Hanson.
Through 1911, Bullet was kept NOV
ing steadily from one Studebaker
branch to another, in the service of
the firms travelling men. 1t was raced
at a number of state and county fairs.
It's travels covered Michigan, Ohio,
Missouri, Kansas and other state Of
he middle west Everywhere the car
was the object of interest to motor
lists who had read its autobiography
one Of the most telling pieces Of sales
literatIre-and who knew of the ex-
pertinent being made with the car.
Early in March, Bullet was ordered
to South Bend to take an honored part
in the celebration of the Goth birthday
of the Studebaker corporation. While
in South Bend, Bullet passed the 10O,-
600 mile mark-a point which some
engineers had picked as the limit of
automobile longevity.
The life of a motor car Of the E.
Mt go" type is still a matter Of con-
lecture. But it is plain that loo, 900
miles is not the maximum. Just how
much longer Bullet is likely to keep
its mechanical integrity, nobody about
the Studebaker factory or branches is
bold enough to guess. Signs of wear
are plentiful, of course, but close
scrutiny fails to show any part of
the cal, to be -dangeFeuslg near the
breaking point. In actions, Bullet Is
still young and pepperE, ready to show
seventy miles an hour in racing rig,
any time a pilot asks for it. I
When South Bend is through with
Bullet, it is more than likely that the
veteran will be started southwark
with Atlanta, its old home, as its ulti-
mate destination. Atlanta is anxious
to see Bullet again. Harry Cohen
wants to pilot the car around the
speedway once more. as in the days
of old. Mr.. Hanson wants to try Bull
let again on the road between his
office in Atlanta and his home In Grif-
fin, Ga, the course on which Bullet
gathered nearly half its southern mile
age. EH r yl
An interesting side issue to the main
experiment in motor car longevity is
a movement among ~Studebaker deal
ers all over the country to keep a
similar record OF the mileage aequir-
ed by their pet cars.
Nearly every garage boasts some
veteran vehicle that has done demon
strating, racing, delivery work and
towboat duty. since the establishment
Of the business. While some of these
cars a claim a mileage equal to
Bullets, there is Old Zeke, EMF
800, In the services of the Studebak-
ers' Louisville branch. that has trav-
eled more thar 10000 miles, and from
10000 to $4,000 miles each are claimed
for Old Hubby, EMF '30' at Birm-
ingham, AL; Texas Long Horn EMF
go" of Segiun, Tex; Old Ike EMF
$50" at Marion, Ind; Old Reliable E.
M-F $50" Of Biddeford, Me-, and an
EMF "30'' owned by Peck & Arnold
of Rochester, n. Y, and generally
known as The Ark.
Tire companies estimate the annual
mileage of a motor a at 5000. TO
ALE H-