Arizona republican., 1918-12-25
.DORT GAR AND |TS
 FOUNDER ARE WELL
 KNOWN IN PHOENIX

Aside from the interest which the Dort automobile arouses with it's own sterling worth, the people of Arizona will feel a sentimental interest in this sturdy product of the Dort Motor com pany. J. D. Dort, head and founder of the company, has spent many winters in Phoenix and other parts of the state and it was in this city that MT. Dort's wife died about ten years ago. Many residents of the city still remember the days when the Dorts came to the fair Arizona cline to spend the cold winter months of the north.
 However, aside from the interest that it's manufacturer arouses, the Dort car itself is of no mean interest And the history of the company which makes it is equally interesting. The Dort company. which now is na- tionally famous as an automobile con- cern, few years ago was the fore most manufacturer of horse e-drawn ve- hicles in the country.
 About thirty years ago, J. D. Dort and MT. Durant now also a prominent motor car man, first started in busi- ness, under the name of the Durant- Dort Carriage company. The company entered the business in a very modest way, starting into the field against it's | great competitors with a small capital When it entered the motor car game five years ago it's capital was two million dollars, with not one black mark against the company's financial or business record.
 It was in 1913 that the heads and | founders of the Durant-Dort company took a comprehensive review of their achievements. The famous line oi Blue Ribbon" carriages originated by the company was nationally popular and their other products were equally successful But the heads of the com pany recognized that the day of the horse and buggy was over; that 8 newer swifter steed and vehicle was steadily supplanting them.
 So the company decided to put new wine in old bottles" and divert its or ganization, factory and prestige to tn, manufacture of the greater rivals o | the horse.
 The first venture of the company from which Mir. Durant is now gone leaving MT. Dort as its sole head - was to obtain various motor car part: on the market and assemble them in | new car which would be worthy of tn, name Dort in it's excellent quality Trials were made, cars were assem [ bled and discarded, and yet the com pany was not satisfied with the result Presently it recognized that the fun damental parts were lacking, if the. were to produce a car such as the! dreamed of.
 Be it said to the credit of the Dor company, that when they found th fundamentals lacking, they did not g on and produce the best car they could relying on their name to make it sell Instead. they withhold production 0 the new car until they could put ol the market a car which would prov worthy of the public confidence.
 The Dort company then went int, search for some one to design the fun damental parts for their car. Sool they obtained the services of M. Etienn Planche, Frenchman by birth and motor engineer by profession. After years work. Mir Planche complete, his work, with the result that the Dor car was equipped with all the parts re quired to make it a quality car
 Since then the Dort car has ampl come up to the standards set it by tn Dort buggy and other Dort products Coming on the field long after number of cars were already success l, ful, it quickly grew in popularity. To
 day it is firmly established car.
 It is noteworthy fact, however , that, like the Kissel products, the poI , has been built more for quality tha
 for quantity. It is designed both t sell and to wear. One of the company : De-