At an auction of classic tractors in Great Britain, special models have yielded record prices. A total of 2 million pounds of agricultural machinery and other collectibles were hammered off.
The April Vintage Sale of the auction house Cheffins took place last weekend in the town of Sutton, north of Cambridge. For two days, 2800 items were auctioned, including tractors, as well as motorcycles and cars. The auction attracted buyers from Great Britain and Europe.
Top piece at the auction was a fully restored County 1474’Short Nose’ tractor from 1982 (photo). The value was given in advance at 120, 000 to 140, 000 pounds, but the offers only stop at 214, 000 pounds (255, 000 euros). According to Cheffins, this model is now the most expensive modern classic tractor ever sold.
Other top pieces from the tractor catalog achieved prices of 73,000 pounds (76,900 euros) for a 2004 JCB 2140, previously estimated at 60-65, 000 pounds, 48,240 pounds (50,900 euros)for a 1983 Mercedes-Benz MB-Trac 1500 and 42,880 pounds (45,100 euros) for a County 1164 of 1974. These specimens were purchased by collectors from Great Britain and Ireland.
Another notable lot was a 1956 Fowler VF Crawler tracked tractor. This ‘barn find’ was built on the Landwade Hall Estate, not far from the auction site. The highest bidder has to pay 16,080 pounds (19,170 euros) for it, around 10,000 pounds more than the pre-sale estimate and a new record price for this type of tractor.
FIND THE BARN!! Look what the vintage team discovered this morning! A a Suffolk estate owned 1956 Fowler VF crawler, untouched, very original and registered for the road! This tractor along with many others will be coming in our Cambridge Vintage Sale on Saturday 23rd April.