COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

A collection of vintage Coventry-built tractors could fetch over £400,000 when they go under the hammer.


The 517,651st and last TE20 tractor rolls off the assembly line at Massey Ferguson in June 1956

Paul Rackham, of Camp Farm in Norfolk, is putting his collection of Ferguson and Massey Ferguson tractors up for sale.

The Hunday Collection comprises 73 tractors, 100 implements and accompanying literature.

Included in the sale is a historically important, fully restored, MK1 long wheel base Land Rover, also built in Coventry, which was owned Harry Ferguson Ltd.

The car is rumoured to have been driven by the Irish engineer himself, as well as inspiring the four-wheeled drive developments carried out by Harry Ferguson Research Ltd.

The vehicle, which was the 13th long-wheelbase version to roll off the production line in Coventry was given to the tractor manufacturer in November 1953.

It was the first car to be sent to anyone outside of Land Rover’s dealership and is set to fetch between £20,000 and £25,000.

The collection originally belonged to John Moffitt, who was a cattle breeder who lived in Stocksfield, Northumberland.

Mr Moffitt died in 2008, aged 79. His love of tractors lead to the creation of the Hunday Museum in Northumberland which was opened in 1979 by the Queen Mother.


A Ferguson Brown Type A will be auctioned next week

Oliver Godfrey, auctioneer at Cheffins, said: “A sale of such historical importance will create a huge amount of interest, particularly from Northern Ireland, which was Harry Ferguson’s birthplace, but also from the ever increasing number of Ferguson and Massey Ferguson enthusiasts around the world.

“The collection includes tractors from Harry Ferguson’s early collaborations with David Brown and Henry Ford, through to his own TE-20 models and later Massey Ferguson tractors.

“There are also several rare implements, including a replica tractor-mounted combine, a side-mounted baler and the ‘holy grail’ of Ferguson implements, an extremely rare game flusher which could fetch £10,000.”

Tractor production started at Banner Lane in Coventry in 1946 and ended in 2002. The site is now a housing estate.

The aution is in Roudham, Norfolk, on November 14.


A Ferguson combine is set to fetch between £8,000 and £10,000

Coventry-built vintage tractor collection sells for £500,000 at auction



A collection of Ferguson and Massey Ferguson Tractors have amassed more than half-a-million pounds at auction – with a historic Coventry-built Land Rover selling for over £35,000.

The auction of what former owner Paul Rackham thought to be the world’s most complete group of vintage Ferguson tractors and implements, took place on Saturday November 14.

The Hunday Collection was made up of 73 tractors and 100 implements along with other memorabilia and literature.

The collection was only expected to raise £400,000.

A fully-restored MK1 long wheelbase Land Rover, which was thought to once have been driven by Harry Ferguson, fetched £11,000 more than its original estimate.

The buyer from Southern Ireland paid £36,000 for the vehicle thought to have inspired the four-wheeled drive developments carried out by Harry Ferguson Research Limited.

Oliver Godfrey, Cheffins auctioneers, said: “It was an excellent auction and generated a huge amount of interest, both at home and abroad, with buyers from Norway, Sweden, Hungary and even Australia, as well as Harry Ferguson’s native Northern Ireland.

“The prices achieved were well above expectations and there was some frenzied bidding both at the sale itself and online.”