Seventy years ago, the Ford Motor Company put a definitive stamp on the fact that more and more farmers in Britain were turning to the benefits of diesel-powered machines.
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This was nothing new, diesel tractors having been around for some time, first in semi-diesel single-cylinder form and then later with multi-cylinder units, with probably the best selling being the Perkins P6 version of the E27N Fordson Major from 1948. At that time, petrol and vaporising oil were still the most popular fuels for tractor power plants. Gradually as the Fifties dawned, that began to change.
The original E27N type Fordson Major was replaced at the end of 1951 by the Fordson New Major. It certainly was new, featuring modern curved bonnet styling and much-improved operating features. Plus, the choice of three engine variants, ingeniously using the same basic engine block thanks to
