Earlier this month Cheffins hosted a sale of over 900 lots of classic and vintage tractors, at which a 1948 Field Marshall took the honour of realising the highest price.
As usual, the Northern sale was held at the Great Yorkshire Showground where it grossed over £500,000 (€595,000) with a large crowd of bidders from across the UK and Europe.
Vintage Marshall made good money
Altogether there were over 140 classic and vintage tractors on offer. The highlights including a 1948 Field Marshall Series II which went for €22,200.
It was said to be in immaculate condition having previously won ‘Best in Show’ at the Carrington Rally and ‘Best Series II’ at the Marshall Golden Jubilee.
This figure was the highest of the day, generously exceeding the estimate of €11,840-14,210, when it sold to a Leicestershire-based collector.
Continental marques also popular
Another notable sale was that of a 1956 Porsche A133 tractor which saw the hammer drop at €12,000. These tractors are not particularly rare, so the vendor is no doubt pleased with the outcome.
More modern classics also saw healthy sums being handed over. These included a 1964 Massey Ferguson 35X, which sold for €14,600; a 1969 Massey Ferguson 165, which went for €12,400, a figure which was well above the estimate; while a nicely restored Massey Ferguson 135 achieved €20,400.
Strong demand for classics
One of the endearing features of Cheffins is that the company is never slow in enthusing over the success of its sales.
Oliver Godfrey, head of the Machinery Department noted:
“The Harrogate Sale provides a fantastic day out and is a key date in the vintage and classic calendar. We saw large crowds on the day, with buyers from across the northern counties and further afield all heading to the Yorkshire Showground to join in the fun, as well as hundreds of bidders online.”
He also believes that the market is clearly still strong for both vintage and classic tractors, with auctions such as the Harrogate event offering collectors a wide selection of machines from the formative days of oil-powered machinery to the classics of the late 20th century.
The trade for vehicles, bygones, collectors’ items and stationary engines also remains strong as enthusiasts look to build their collections.
The next vintage collective sale to be offered by Cheffins will be the October Vintage Sale, which will take place on October 23, at the Cheffins Machinery Saleground, Sutton, near Ely.