The 50th anniversary of the Massey Ferguson 1200 will be celebrated at this year’s Newark Vintage Tractor & Heritage Show, which takes place on November 5 and 6.
The 1200 was the first articulated four-wheel tractor to be manufactured in Britain. It has been credited with changing the concept of agricultural engineering, despite some early production blips.
The tractor was powered by a Perkins six-cylinder diesel engine giving 105hp, with its box-like body featuring a steel-nosed bonnet and integral cab – and of course, the central pivot giving it the articulation and manoeuvrability it’s known for.
One long-time collector who’ll be at the vintage show, 79-year-old Peter Tack, remembers his introduction to the machine ahead of the anniversary.
Massey Ferguson 1200
“I was looking for a bigger four-wheeled tractor through a dealer,” he said.
“They didn’t have exactly what I was looking for, however they asked if I would be interested in seeing a Massey Ferguson 1200.”
Tack liked the idea of trying something different, so he agreed to take a lot at the tractor.
“We went to the farm where it was and walked across grassy fields, at the top of which were two trees with a thicket of blackberry brambles and stinging nettles – it was in there – so we got to work,” he said.
Tack wasn’t expecting much life from the abandoned machine, but hooked up a 12v battery and the engine came to life.
“I didn’t keep it running for very long for being concerned with damaging it. I got a lorry and brought it home,” he said.
Today, Tack enjoys sharing his classic tractor collection with fellow enthusiasts and general public at events like the Newark Vintage Tractor & Heritage Show.
“Be it on display or in the ring, I like to have something behind it,” he said.
“I often have a spring-tined heavy-duty cultivator behind my Massey Ferguson 1200 – I think it better shows the machine’s history and purpose.”
Newark Vintage Tractor & Heritage Show
At this year’s show, which is one of the largest gatherings of vintage tractors, engines, machinery, commercial and military vehicles, there will be a wide range of other classic and vintage machinery and engines on display.
Show organiser, Elizabeth Halsall, said: “Entries are now closed and we have 1099 in total, so it’s looking like it will be one of the largest gatherings of its kind, in the country – it’s truly not to be missed.”
