SALES REVIEWS
Although Cheffins set a European record for the sale of a 1982, ‘short nose’ County 1474 at £200,000 plus commission, on Saturday 24 April, Thursday 21 April saw a new world record set for any tractor sold in preservation at Aumann Auctions’ Pre ’30 sale at Nokomis, Illinois, USA.
An astonishing £1,172,281 ($1,470,000) was paid for a 1913 Case 60. This is the highest price ever paid for a preservation tractor and more than any steam engine. The tractor is powered by a twin-cylinder engine with 10in bore and 12in stroke and although it was originally planned that 500 would be made, it looks as though 125 were actually built and five remain today.
Dennis Powers purchased this tractor in 1993 from Ron Carey, who originally purchased it from the Stan Reynolds Museum in Alberta, Canada. This example, no. 889, came with the original extension rims. It underwent an extensive restoration that began in 2000 and was completed in 2006. The previous record for one of these tractors was £199,000! It’s said it has joined an amazing collection of veteran tractors on the east side of America.
Next was one of my favourite prairie tractors in form of the Pioneer Tractor Manufacturing 30, built in Winona, Minnesota. The tractor was introduced in 1909 with a four-cylinder engine with 7in bore and 8in stroke, and it featured rear wheels that were eight feet in diameter! It also had a warm, wooden cab and was still in the company’s inventory list when it went bust in 1927.
No. 652, was originally in the Stan Reynolds Museum in Alberta, Canada, and was purchased by Ron Carey. Dennis Powers later purchased it from Ron
