10—Ford Supplement to Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 30,1984
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Henry Ford (left) built many experimental tractors before actually putting
one into mass production. This experimental model, which he called an
"automobile plow," was built in 1907. Gasoline powered, it was one of his
Through the Years
1907 - Henry Ford builds one of
his first gasoline-powered ex
perimental tractors, capable of
pulling a single-bottom plow, and
calls it an “automobile plow.”
1907 to 1916 - Mr. Ford builds
more than 50 experimental trac
tors searching for the right tractor
to put into production.
1917 - British government re
quests assistance from Mr. Ford in
building large quantities of trac
tors to help raise urgently needed
food to counteract the effect of
enemy blockade during World War
I.
October 8 - First Fordson rolls
off assembly line at Brady Street
and Michigan Avenue in Dearborn,
Mich. Six months later, British
order for 7,000 Fordsons is filled.
1917 to 1928 - U.S. Fordson pro
duction totals 739,977 tractors. For
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some years during the 1920’5, 75
percent of all tractors built in the
U.S. are Fordsons.
1929 - Ford tractor manufactur
ing is transferred to Cork, Ireland,
and later to Dagenham, England.
Fordsons built at two sites are sold
in U.S. as well as United Kingdom
and in export markets.
1939 - Ford builds in Dearborn
the 9N tractor - one of the world’s
first production tractors with
three-point hitch and a hydraulic
system which enables the operator
to raise or lower attached im
plements by hydraulic controls.
1947 - The 8N tractor is introduc
ed.
1949 - Ford builds 103,463 model
8N tractors, the largest 12-month
total of tractors produced to date
by one manufacturer.
Ford pioneers industrial equip-
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with Ford Tractor
ment business with introduction of
industrial loaders, backhoes, and
trenchers to team with the BN.
1952 - The Dagenham Plant pro
duces the Fordson Major tractor.
The Major becomes Ford’s most
widely exported tractor and
establishes the company in many
world markets.
1955 - Five new Ford tractor
models in two power series are in
troduced in making the company a
multiple tractor model manufac
turer for the first time.
1956 - Ford becomes the first to
introduce power steering as stan
dard equipment in all row-crop
farm tractors.
1958 - Ford unveils first
American-built diesel engines for
tractors (Ford models 901 and
801).
Ford announces company’s first
tv
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first attempts toward a light, sturdy, inexpensive machine that the average
farmer could afford.
industrial tractors (Senes 1800)
available with a 2,500-pound
loader.
1961 - Model 4000 and 2000 in
dustrial tractors are introduced.
1962 - Blue and white selected as
standardized colors for Ford farm
tractors.
1964 - Manufacturing and
assembly operations begin at new
Basildon, England, and Antwerp,
Belgium, plants.
Ford announces a single series of
tractor models for worldwide
markets - tractors to meet power
needs of farmers throughout the
world.
1965 - Ford lawn and garden trac
tors debut.
1967 - New Romeo, Mich., Equip
ment Plant assembles its first in
dustrial tractor-loader-backhoe
rigs
Ford introduces model 5500 in
dustrial tractor-loader-backhoe -
largest in TLB line.
Ford unveils "Auto-Dig,” a
revolutionary tractor backhoe op
tion that automatically assists dig
ging cycle.
1968 - First 100-horse-power-plus
Ford farm tractor - the model 8000
- is introduced.
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1969 - Ford introduces 131-
horsepower model 9000 farm trac
tor - most powerful Ford tractor
produced to date
1971 - Ford introduces 83-
horsepower turbocharged, model
7000 farm tractor with
revolutionary Load Monitor - a
hydraulic draft control system
designed to boost productivity
through more versatile implement
control.
Rider mower and chain saw lines
unveiled as company forms new
Consumer Products Department.
1972 - Expansion of Romeo,
Mich., facility announced. It will
consolidate work previously done
at plants in Des Moines, Iowa;
Highland Park, Royal Oak and
Romeo - all in Mich.
1973 - Ford expands range of
farm tractors, introducing new
bottom-of-the-hne model 100, 23-
horsepower, and 135-horsepower
model 9600, Ford’s largest, most
powerful.
New top-of-the-line model 7500
and 6500 tractor-loader-backhoes
announced by Ford.
1974 - New walk-behind lawn
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