The Ford Series 40 launch was combined with that of the New Holland TC combine in October 1991, and held at the International Training Centre at Boreham House, in Essex. These new products were critical to the future success of the company, and contained radical new features that triggered a significant recovery of market share during the early 1990s.
The Series 40 tractors featured new transmissions, an updated Genesis engine range – replacing the old 6X engine format – and modern styling. Farmers had been expecting Ford New Holland to implement these changes to its tractor range, but the launch was to be under a different banner.
Also in 1991 – seven months before the launch – came the dramatic news that Fiat had acquired Ford New Holland, the agricultural machinery division of Ford Motor Company. Needless to say, this was quite a shock, especially to the long-serving Ford tractor people who’d not expected Ford to forsake the farm machinery business. After all, the founder of the company, Henry Ford, designed the first Ford prototype tractor
