The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

At a rally last weekend I was talking to someone at a Tractor club stall who was mentioning the upcoming '100 years of Fordson' celebrations next year.... That being 2017.

I can't see anything anywhere about this 100 year celebration and with a quick search on the History of Ford, found this.
"The very first Fordson tractor left the assembly line on July 3, 1919. By the end of that year, 303 tractors had been built in Cork."

So perhaps I misheard the guy or does anyone know of anything like that happening next year?

It's not something I know much about, but weren't the first production Fordsons ordered by the British Ministry of Munitions, and shipped over from America? https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=r7i ... ns&f=false

blackbob wrote:It's not something I know much about, but weren't the first production Fordsons ordered by the British Ministry of Munitions, and shipped over from America? https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=r7i ... ns&f=false

Interesting. Thanks.

So, The British Ministry of Munitions order for Tractors started in the fall of 1917.
With the first M.O.M. Being shipped to England in the October of 1917.

So there may well be something being organised or talked about being organised for next years shows.

Anyone else know anything about this?

2017 is the anniversary of the Fordson tractor but very few events are being organised to celebrate it. CNH are not going to do anything and are not offering assistance to clubs as far as I have heard.

I am booked for the celebrations in Deniliquin in Australia and have been for a year at least. Fordson Tractor Club of Australia are having a stand at the Deniliquin Collectors Club Rally with sponsorship from New Holland Agriculture not from Ford Australia as I originally posted. NHA are providing flags and promotional material and the FCA supplying the marquee and everything else. The Special Guests are providing their own air fare but have their accomodation for the trip already booked.

Interesting reading the history of Ford as I am doing at the moment for the book on J. J. Wright and Sons Ltd that I am working on. Ford had a tractor up and running in 1916 and he wanted to build it in Ireland because he was half Irish. When it became clear that the UK was in trouble with food production as the submarine war was taking its tole on imports, (we were importing 72% of our food, sound familiar)? The British Government approached a company in London who were importing American tractors and through their contacts, approached Ford. Henry was very generous and said he would provide drawings and tooling to build the tractor free of charge and set up a factory in Ireland on the understanding that the British Government bought the tractors and they were not sold to farmers. Hence the name MOM, Ministry of Munitions, the Ministry bought and owned the first Fordsons.

This was agreed and 5000 tractors were ordered but it did not work out as production could not be set up quickly so some parts were bought locally, some parts came from Fords factory in the States and the tractors were assembled in the States, in Cork and in Manchester. Although some appeared on farms and at demonstrations in 1917 it was 1918 before the factory in Cork really got into production.

J. J. Wright and Sons Ltd became a Ford dealer in 1912, set up an agricultural department selling Mogul and Overtime tractors before selling Fordson tractors from 1919 when they became available to buy. They also did agricultural contracting with their own fleet of tractors from around 1917 to 1920.

Thanks Brian

It seems a shame that there doesn't seem to be much going on to celebrate this for next year. Bit of a milestone to miss really
Maybe CNH will think about it over the remainder of this year to try and get something going...

BUMP


So, does anyone have any high up friends at their local NH Dealer?

Anyone know of any Heritage department within New Holland with any contacts to speak to?

Any Ex Sales staff still in contact with anyone who could help?



/just finding it a bit hard to understand why there is no real info available for any possible Centenary celebration.