Eightieth anniversary of the first Ferguson TE 20

The gentleman’s agreement between Harry Ferguson and Henry Ford finally saw the Ferguson System as first envisioned in the Ferguson Master Patent granted a century ago on the 14th of June, 1926 and perfected by the autumn of 1935 at County Tyrone in mass production.  It was also agreed by Harry Ferguson and Henry Ford as part of the deal that the revolutionary Ford tractor with Ferguson System or the Ford-Ferguson as they are more commonly known as well as being built at the huge Ford Factory in Detroit, USA would also be built by the Ford Motor Company of England in the British Isles.

With the beginning of the Second World War in September, 1939 that did not happen, however over 3,000 Ford-Ferguson tractors would be imported to Northern Ireland alone during the war and they proved invaluable as part of the war effort to produce more home grown food.

Harry Ferguson had spent the war in the USA from May, 1940 ensuring production of the Ford-Ferguson continued and following the success of the D-Day Landings he sent Trevor Knox, a County Down man back from the USA in autumn, 1944 to the UK.  This was for him to scout out a possible factory for Ferguson tractor production, locating several promising factories in Northern Ireland and England. 

Harry Ferguson would return to Northern Ireland in July, 1945 with his then chief engineer John Malet Chambers.  Chambers was also from County Down and had been working for Harry Ferguson since February, 1932 as an engineer while the Ferguson Belfast Black Prototype tractor was being built.  Together they brought the blue prints for the improved tractor to be hopefully built in Northern Ireland, with an ultimate objective of 1,000 tractors per day.  Just think what that could have done for the economy of Northern Ireland. 

Harry Ferguson held high level meetings with the Northern Ireland Government and received full backing for the idea of tractor production at a factory in Belfast.  The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Sir Basil Brooke a friend of Harry Ferguson from the early days of his plough and tractor development was very supportive.  He previously held the ministerial role of Agricultural Minister for Northern Ireland and understood how vital it was to get a Ferguson tractor on the market again in Northern Ireland.  All that was needed was £3 million Pounds to equip a factory and provide materials by the Westminster Government.  Sadly that never happened with the new Labour government preferring to back Sir John Black’s bid to build the tractor for Harry Ferguson by giving the £3 million Pounds to his company, the Standard Motor Company for production at the Banner Lane factory in Coventry, England that was previously been used to make aero engines.

The deal being announced in Northern Ireland in October, 1945 under the newspaper headings “The Ferguson Tractor Lost to Ulster!”  Sadly the tractor designed in Northern Ireland and that could and should have been built in Northern Ireland would not be built in Northern Ireland and this was to the great personal disappointment of Harry Ferguson.

Meanwhile the final design of the tractor known as the Ferguson Tractor for Europe 20 HP (TE 20) and the prototypes were shipped from Northern Ireland to the Banner Lane factory.  Improvements over the Ford-Ferguson included a new 4 speed gearbox to replace the 3 speed, improved mounting points for the top link, improved brakes and other small changes.  As the tractor was now to be made in England it had its name changed to the Ferguson Tractor England but still with the model name TE 20.  John Chambers was tasked by Harry Ferguson to work with the Standard Motor Company to get it into production.  As the Standard Motor Company did not have an engine to fit to the tractor, the popular Continental Z120 overhead valve engine that was made in Detroit USA was initially used.

After months of delays and following the building of 5 prototypes for testing the assembly of the first production Ferguson TE 20 would be completed at the Banner Lane factory on Saturday 6th of July, 1946.

This must have been a time of great joy for Harry Ferguson and his engineers that the Ferguson tractor post war was finally in production in the UK.  Despite a slow start to assembly due to material shortages, staff training and other issues that resulted in just 315 tractors built in 1946, by the time production of the Ferguson TE 20 ended ten years later in 1956 over half a million would be built.  The little grey Ferguson, TE 20 was exported all around the world and was the most successful British built tractor of all time.

Stevan Patterson, Castlederg, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, UK.