Is it a record?
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A Mercedes-Benz 1 626 tractor has covered nearly a million miles in 31/2 years and could be the most productive vehicle in Britain. It was registered on September 17, 1975, and was one of seven commissioned that year by F. B. Atkins and Sons Ltd, Derby, who run one of Britain's finest haulage fleets. The other six comparative sluggards have each averaged about 750,000 miles.
The reason for the exceptional mileage is that the vehicle makes two return runs a day between Burton-on-Trent and Carlisle on a contract with Pirelli. This work alone accounts for about 4,000 miles a week.
Kenneth Akins, a director, said that the 12.8-litre V8 engine, 12-speed splitter gearbox and hub-reduction driving axle had "not been touched" since the tractor first hit the road. "The engine hardly ever gets cold," he added, which is as good a reason as any for not touching it. On the BurtonCarlisle run the fuel consumption vanes between 6.5mpg and 7.5mpg, working at 32 tons gross in each direction.