In 1917 Harry Ferguson developed a method of attaching a wheel—less plough to a tractor to reduce the dangers of the machine overturning. By 1925 the plough was in production in the USA and Ferguson set about developing equipment that would effectively integrate the implement and the tractor.
Ferguson teamed up with David Brown to produce the Ferguson—Brown Type A but sales did not meet Harry's expectations. Following a demonstration of the Ferguson—Brown tractor to Henry Ford, agreement was reached with the Ford Motor Company in the USA to build an improved version of the tractor there. It was launched in 1939 as the Ford—Ferguson 9N. When Ford terminated this arrangement Ferguson entered an agreement with the Standard Motor Company to bring production of what was now described as the Ferguson TE—20, to Britain. The first were built in 1946 and over the next ten years more than 793,000 examples were produced in Britain, France and the USA. With its revolutionary three—point hydraulic linkage, Ferguson had always seen his tractor as part of a complete farming system and by the time the TE—20 was superseded by the FE—35 in 1956, there were more than 100 Ferguson implements designed specifically to couple to the tractor.
This is an enlarged and expanded edition, with many new pictures, of the comprehensive history of the TE—20 and the Ferguson System which helped to mechanise and revolutionise farming across the world. Today, with classic tractors a thriving hobby, few machines are more sought after than the TE—20. The book is also a reliable reference guide to finding, restoring and operating the 'little grey Fergie' some 75 years since the first example was produced.