The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-09-29
FORD CAR IS
SOLD IN FAR-OFF
MONGOLIA
Buddhist Leader In Heart of
Cobb Desert Purchased Ma
chine Made Here
MAGAZINE WRITER
DESCRIBES LONG TRIP
Automobile Is Now In Use In
Region Recently Opened To
White Man

As q part OF q far reaching policy or
sales expansion, the Ford Motor Co.
will establish q selling and service
branch In Buenos Aires. the nrst
branch In South America.
The new branch will be In charge
OF E. H. Hampton. who has been the
Ford export manager with Offices At
Is Broadway. New York City.
At present the South American
business of the Ford company IL
handled by q large number Of deal
ers. These are In no position to give
the service which the Ford company
will be able to furnish when its
branch is in operation.
The remainder Of the world is al.
ready pretty well covered by tho
direct branches of the Ford company.
In addition to the foreign branch fac
tories at Ford, Ont, and Manchester.
Eng. the company has sales branches
in Calgary, Hamburg, Germany. Ham,
ilton. Ont. London, Eng. London.
Ont, Melbourne, Australia, Montreal.
Paris. Saskatoon. Toronto. Vancouver
and Winnipeg.
In addition there are. Of course. tho
thousands OF dealers scattered
throughout the world.
Under the title THE LAma's Motor
Car" Ethan G. LeMunyon, In q recent
number Of the National Geographic
Magazine, tells of the delivery Of .
Ford Model T. Car In the heart Of the
Cobb desert In Mongolia.
The purchaser OF the car was the
'-Tasha Lama" ranking next in the
Buddhist religion to the Dalai Lama"
of Thibet The Lama lives In the city
OF Urga. only recently opened to white
men.
The Lama heard of the devil
wagons" of the whites which travelled
without help and determined to have
one. His representatives visited
Tefntsin, China, to open negotiations
for q car. The dih1culty of delivering
afterward frightened OF q number OF
dealers but the Ford representatives
decided to take chance and agreed
to deliver the car. Gasoline was ship
ped ahead by bullock carts. the only
means Of travel In the Cobb district.
and careful preparations were made
for getting the car into the almost
inaccessible country. The car was q
regular stock Model T. with covered
body. The car was shipped by rail to
the end Of the Pekin railway at Kali
gan and from there proceeded into the
mountainous desert. A portion of the
trip was made under the cars own
power but a scarcity OF gasoline led
to reGorting to q bullock tow. The
ground was 90 broken that the tires
were removed at one point and the
rims protected with repeated wrap.
pings Of mating.
When near Uga, the car which was
IN . horrible looking condition from
tipping over In mudholes. was washed
up clean, the tires put back In place
and under It's own power It proceeded
into the sacred city, having Travelled
more than 700 miles over the desert
q great portion Of the time on roads
where continuous use for centuries
has worn ruts Is inches deep.
The Lama was much interested in
his car and one Of his aides was able
to run 1t with but little instruction
the car being so absolutely fool
proof"
Outside Of the two racers which
crossed China in the Paris.Pekin race
this was the first car to be seen In
the Cobb desert and It IL the only
closed car that ever negotiated the
desert Despite the roughness Of the
road. only minor adjustments we're
necessary before the car was turned
over to the Lama after It's hard trip
through the dosert country