Ford dealerships

Dave@890BVR · Apr 12, 2013

When did Ford create separate dealerships for autos/trucks and farm equipment? In the early years if you sold one you also sold the other.

NY 986 · Apr 12, 2013

From what I have been told it could have gone either way. I know of one example where back in the N series days there was a nearby dealer that sold both under one roof. Another that sold both on the same lot but in separate buildings. I would believe that the ag contract was separate from the automotive even if one dealer did handle both. Even in the N series days there were a number of urban Ford dealers that most likely did not want to handle agricultural equipment. In more modern times there were dealers that wanted cafeteria type contracts depending on the equipment they wanted to handle. There was a regional dealer years ago that only wanted to stock backhoes and later compact tractors but would order Ford ag if the customer requested. This same dealer let another dealer carry New Holland after the merger to sell in his territory. Not all dealers handled New Holland combines as that was a separate contract even after the merger.

JMOR · Apr 12, 2013

IIRC, in the beginning of Ford ag tractors, distribution was under Harry Ferguson, Dearborn Eqmt Company. So I would expect that there was no direct dealer tie at that time to FoMoCo, but some years down the road, Harry & Henry split the sheet. Probably find all kinds of details on this topic on the NTC forum.

Fordfarmer · Apr 12, 2013

Seems like I've read it was around the time the 8N came out. Not sure about that, though.
There was a dealer not too far from me who sold both the car/truck line and tractor/equipment line - Tom Tabola (sp?) Ford in Caddott, WI. Became Dave Doers Ford when Tom retired, folded a few years later, probably mid-'80's. Grandpa and I visited there a couple times in the late '70's or very early '80's. Neat, well kept place, with a 'big' inventory (for our area). Sold a number of County 4x4's, too.

RodinNS · Apr 12, 2013

Pretty well right from the start I think... When the old man here bought a 9n... the local Chev dealer was actually selling Ford tractors...

Rod

Anonymous-0 · Apr 12, 2013

A friend of mine bought a new 851 and some implements from Hotalings , a car and tractor dealer in 1955

Scott PA · Apr 12, 2013

Around late 1920's or 1930, maybe when Fordson production was moved overseas, dealers that started after this date would not have sold both.

Tim Daley(MI) · Apr 13, 2013

Ferguson sold Waterloo Boy tractors at first then switched to the Fordson when he partnered with the Sherman Bros. and had his own duplex-hitch plow to go with it. After Fordson production went to Cork, Ireland he joined forces with David Brown. They built the Ferguson-Brown tractor, though not many, and despised each other until Ferguson snuck off to Dearborn in 1938 to demonstrate his new 3-pt lift system to Henry Ford. Using a Ferguson-Brown 1936 Type A tractor, he proved to Ford his draft control system was the best. Thus the famous 'handshake agreement' was born.

It was the practice of not only Ford, but all car makers to deliver trucks and tractors to the car dealers. They had to pay cash on delivery and often bankrupted the dealers. Considering that a dealer in downtown New York would have a heck of a time selling a tractor, the practice was dissolved eventually.

Cowguy74 · Apr 13, 2013

Look up Fitzpatrick and lambert in Dushore,PA. The sell tractors and trucks still today.

Ford dealerships

Dave@890BVR

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NY 986

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JMOR

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Fordfarmer

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RodinNS

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Scott PA

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Tim Daley(MI)

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