DUNCAN & FRASER SALESMAN on the MODEL T: "...although the price was very low, the car was so flimsy that I could not honestly recommend anyone to buy one.”

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: DUNCAN & FRASER SALESMAN on the MODEL T: "...although the price was very low, the car was so flimsy that I could not honestly recommend anyone to buy one.”
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Stokes on Monday, October 29, 2012 - 05:32 pm:

I have just rented another car to a regular customer from Australia, who is with the SA chapter of the Vintage Car Club. Naturally, we got talking and he told me about a book by a chap by the name of Cheney that he thought I should read. I went prowling on the internet and found a great story.

Cheney was with Duncan and Fraser! When the Duncan and Fraser firm was offered the Ford agency for South Australia, their best saleman, Cheney, had a look at the car and said "...although the price was very low, the car was so flimsy that it could not honestly recommend anyone to buy one.”

The story continues as follows....

"Duncan & Fraser were now the official sole agents for the Ford motorcar in South Australia and Broken Hill. Again Cheney was not impressed.

“I told the Duncan’s that I had no faith in the flimsy, cheap looking Ford car, I could not conscientiously advise anyone to buy it, and as it was the firm’s policy to sell Ford cars there was no alternative but for me to hand in my resignation.”

"The Duncan brothers knew that Cheney was not bluffing and that his decision was not taken likely. The Duncan brothers would not accept Cheney’s resignation, so a compromise was sought. He did not have to sell Ford cars. He could stay on the other car makes and leave the Ford cars to other members of the staff. However, the Duncans were convinced that Cheney's opinion was wrong.

"The Fords first showing was at the little town of Balaklava. Duncan & Fraser travelled the 60 odd miles north of Adelaide for their local show. Robert Duncan and Cheney helped man the display that included a fine array of buggies, two Argylls and the newly acquired Ford.

"At the Balaklava show one of Cheney’s friends Bob Longmore asked about a new automobile. Cheney picked out an Argyll as the most suited to his needs. As he was about to sign Bob inquired about the new Ford. He had made a recent purchase of some land and the lower price was a consideration. Cheney would not deal with the Ford and politely introduced Bob to Robert Duncan. Bob became upset and accused Cheney of trying to sell the more expensive car with the higher commission.

“ All right!” Cheney said. “If that is the way you feel about it, I’ll sell you the Ford.”

"Bob had seen he had upset his friend and explained that the new land was ungraded and that he did not want to take such a fine car as the Argyll through the scrub. However he did not want the cheaper car if was not good enough to do the job. Bob Longmore asked Robert Duncan for a trial run up to his property. Robert agreed and the necessary arrangements were made.

"Cheney was to drive a Ford the 200 odd miles from Adelaide to Loxton in the Riverland. Off they went and to Cheney's surpise the Ford ran faultlessly at about 30 mph. The Ford had boiled a little and lost some water. At the Kapunda post office Cheney sent a telegram to Duncan & Fraser:

“Adelaide to Kapunda, 50 miles in 2 hours, top gear all the way!”

"Next stop was Morgan, town about 50 miles further north on the River Murray. About 40 miles outside of Kapunda following the railway line the front right-hand wheel came off! Cheney’s first impression was the car had fallen to pieces. To his amazement there was no apparent damage to anything other than a broken rear wheel. Cheney put his party on board a train for Morgan and asked them to wait there for him whilst he repaired the Ford.

"Walking a few yards Cheney collected his front wheel and the bearing. The nut had not been properly pinned and had worked loose. Using nails Cheney properly refastened the nut. Checking the other side he found the same problem. The car had been poorly assembled. The broken rear wheel was another issue.

"Cheney walked about 2 miles back along the railway to a siding. He persuaded the stationmaster to send a telegram to Duncan & Fraser asking for a rear wheel to be sent to him. It arrived at 2 o’clock in the morning on a goods train, but it was for an Oldsmobile and not a Ford. After walking and working all night, Cheney grafted the Oldsmobile wheel into the Ford rear hub and just 24 hours later set out for Morgan and his passengers.

"They were amazed at what they saw as had Cheney only lost a single day but also driving the same car. The party continued on to Renmark another 80 miles further on and stayed overnight.

"By the end of his trip he returned to Adelaide with another 13 orders for Ford cars and Cheney dropping his prejudice against the Ford."

(Copied from http://www.duncanandfraser.com/cheney.html )

The reason for posting this is to show just one of the many stories of how the Ford proved its worth over time. This weekend sees the start of a commemorative tour here in New Zealand, the objective of the organised exercise in 1912 being to publicise the car and its abilities. But the Ford also earned the respect of many from other less organised or spontaneous events.

For details about the centenary event this weekend, see
http://www.modelt.co.nz/motor-pioneers/


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Garrison on Monday, October 29, 2012 - 08:15 pm:

Great story John.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dane Hawley Near Melbourne Australia on Tuesday, October 30, 2012 - 05:01 am:

John, S.A. Cheney became a well-known man in the automotive field. He set a record for the drive from Adelaide to Broken Hill in a T in 1913. There were an amazing number of gates to be opened and closed en route too.

Later he became a Dodge dealer in his own right, then moved to Morris cars and trucks and finally selling Holdens.

His biography, 'From Horse to Horsepower' (1965) is well worth reading. Sorry I am keeping my copy!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dane Hawley Near Melbourne Australia on Tuesday, October 30, 2012 - 05:03 am:

Here is a newspaper report of Cheney's 1913 exploit-

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/56989887?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Peter Kable on Wednesday, October 31, 2012 - 02:45 am:

John, what hasn't been mentioned was the fact the Ford had 5 adults and 5 suitcases on board for the trip. Space being so scarce that one case had to be put on the hood ( bonnet in English)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By george house on Thursday, November 01, 2012 - 07:34 am:

What a wonderful short read before sunrise ! Thank you ! I had a Ford salesman deliver a new Explorer out to the ranch last summer. There he saw my stable of Model Ts and exclaimed that I had the highest brand loyalty quotient he'd ever seen.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Thomas Mullin on Thursday, November 01, 2012 - 09:50 am:

Dane, Thanks for the "rest of the story."

Odd, though, when I used the cursor keys to scroll the image of the article, UP went down and DOWN went up! Is this an Australian thing?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dane Hawley Near Melbourne Australia on Friday, November 02, 2012 - 05:07 am:

Thomas, that is really strange! Although I have used the Trove site extensively, I have always used the mouse cursor to move around a page, but have just tested it and you are so right, up moves down and vice versa. I have never encountered that on another site.

Perhaps the fellow that set it up was preparing to cater to a Northern Hemisphere audience.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Manuel Voyages, ACT Australia on Friday, November 02, 2012 - 04:35 pm:

That happens to me on Facebook. Press 'Page up' and it goes down. When u press page down it goes down as well :-(

Manuel in Oz


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Stokes on Friday, November 02, 2012 - 04:55 pm:

One of the many privileges of being down under?


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