British Tractors 1945-1965

Hardback

From Allis Chalmers to Vickers, the A-Z of the UK tractor industry in the years between 1945 and 1965 – an era when Britain mechanised the world’s farms – is a wonderful story of personal endeavour and pioneering innovation.

Man power on farms was short, and the situation was made more critical by the US Government’s decision to terminate the wartime Lend-Lease agreement, resulting in a restriction on imports of wheeled tractors from the USA.

Both new and existing British manufacturers, including the famous names of David Brown, Ferguson, Fordson and Nuffield, rose to meet the challenge. However, American firms, such as International Harvester, Massey-Harris and Minneapolis-Moline, were determined not to be left on the sidelines and managed to circumvent the import restrictions by establishing their own plants in the UK. The result was an eclectic mix of tractor makers – from vast factories engaged in mass production to low-volume backyard enterprises that targeted the niche markets.

This book presents the story from a fascinating viewpoint, using the manufacturers’ brochures and sales material of the period to reveal each tractor model in colourful and captivating detail. There are more than 400 images in all, giving a unique flavour of the times and an impression of the features that the firms were highlighting to promote their products.

• 168 pages
• illustrated throughout with mainly colour images
• Hardback book
• 270mm x 210mm