Innovative Intrac

50 years ago, in 1972, the German tractor builder Deutz announced a new concept in agricultural tractors and simultaneously reinvigorated the idea of the ‘toolcarrier’. In doing so Deutz completely flipped the accepted principles of conventional tractors on their head with a machine that not only featured front and rear linkages for mounting implements, but also a large load-carrying platform and forward driving position to produce something totally unique and what, in many ways, proved to be the first ‘systems’ tractor.

The idea of a multi-function tractor was not really new, since Deutz itself had first introduced the Multitrac toolcarrier 10 years earlier. This was the first of a long line of Deutz toolcarriers with its engine mounted at the rear in the same style as those produced by rivals Lanz and Fendt and, to a lesser extent, the David Brown 2D. Lanz had entered this arena even earlier with its Alldog toolcarrier first seen in 1951, while Fendt had the most success – its first GT toolcarrier being introduced in 1953.

DEUTZ TOOLCARRIERS

Thus, Deutz was quite late to the game in the respect of toolcarrier-type tractors, and the Multitrac followed the already-accepted design principles of this type of machine – with a rear-mounted engine, driving position slightly ahead of the engine, or on top of it, and then a frame leading out to the front wheels, which were smaller than the