The gentle clatter of an old tractor working in the distance is as British a sound as the thwack of willow on leather and you don’t need to be a farmer to appreciate it. There’s nothing like a vintage-tractor rally to get the blood flowing on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Perhaps you know someone who has a treasured tractor collection, tucked away in a barn and maintained as lovingly as any fleet of Aston Martins? We reveal our top 5 vintage tractors.
1. Fordson Major (livery: blue/orange or blue/grey) Introduced in 1952, the all-new Fordson Major was built by Ford at its factory in Dagenham, Essex. During its 12-year production life, the 50hp Major was heralded as Britain’s most popular diesel-powered tractor.
2. Nuffield Universal 4/60 or 10/60 (livery: orange) Manufactured by British Motor Corporation, the Nuffield Universal was launched in 1948. Subsequent diesel versions included the 60hp 4/60 (1961) and the 10-speed 10/60 (1964), built at BMC’s factory in Bathgate, West Lothian.
3. Ferguson TE20 (livery:grey) Launched in 1946, the Ferguson TE20 was built in Coventry. It introduced the world to the Ferguson System and was nicknamed the ‘grey Fergie’.
4. David Brown 990 Selectamatic (livery: white/chocolate) Launched in 1965, the David Brown 990 Selectamatic replaced the popular 990 Implematic, with new styling, a new livery and David Brown’s innovative Selectamatic single-lever hydraulic system.
5. Massey Ferguson (MF) 135 (livery: red and grey) Introduced in December 1964, the 45.5hp three-cylinder diesel MF 135 was the most popular tractor MF manufactured in the UK. In the late 1960s, one in five tractors sold in Britain was an MF 135.
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