A Roadless tractor sold for a very considerable £46,000 (no VAT; plus 6% buyer’s commission) on Saturday, October 19, at an auction in England.
Also Read: Auction report: £132,000 (plus VAT and commission) for County tractor – bought by an Irish manThe tractor changed hands at Cheffins’ Cambridge Vintage Sale at Sutton (England). According to Cheffins, this sale (which is run on a regular basis) is “Europe’s largest auction of its type”.
Tim Scrivener was at the auction for AgriLand to take these photographs and to note the prices. All of the pictures in this report are from the auction itself.
The tractor in question – a Roadless 120 (pictured above and below) – attracted considerable attention in the run-up to the sale.
According to the auctioneers, this 120 was delivered to Ernest Doe & Sons, Ulting, Essex (England), on July 26, 1977. Beyond that point, the tractor’s known history was described as “scarce”.
A spokesperson explained: “What is known is that the tractor was entered into Cheffins’ Cambridge Machinery Sale back in 2008, where it was bought by well-known tractor dealer/enthusiast [and owner of Roadless Traction] John Bownes.
“It was subsequently sold to Roadless supremo George Yarwood who, in conjunction with restoration specialist Ben Craig, set about restoring this tractor to its show-winning condition over a 12-month period.”
‘Best Ford Derivative’
The tractor appeared at the Newark Vintage Tractor & Heritage Show in 2009, where it was judged to be the ‘Best Ford Derivative’ on display.
It was equipped with Dual Power, a Lambourn cab, a rear linkage, a pick-up hitch and shod on 13.6R38 Goodyear Super Traction wheels/tyres all round. It was showing just four hours since its restoration.
It was sold with some accompanying paraphernalia, including photographs taken during its “comprehensive restoration”.
As alluded to above, it sold for the princely sum of £46,000 (no VAT; plus 6% buyer’s commission).
