What numbers were the gold demonstrators made in?

Hello Dylan, The serial has to be between 60692 and 71484 if it is not it is not Gold. Thanks Tony

Some sources cite January 16, 1959 as when the first Gold Demonstrator was produced, an 871 Model. the serial number range also has been listed as between 66000 and 72000 however some other sources cite that may have been as early as s/n 58000. The purpose of the Gold was to supply every Ford Tractor dealer with one to display and offer as a, well, a demonstration model for customers to see and try the new Select-O-Speed transmission. Since there were approximately between 3000 and 4000 tractor dealers, that s/n range given can be off a bit either way depending on how you do the math. If you use 58000 as the low end and add 4000, you get the to 62000 as the high end. If you use the stated upper limit of 72000 and subtract 4000 you get 68000. So, based on this, not ALL those s/n's were Golds then. They'd have to pull at random a few and have them painted gold. If you are trying to determine if you have one, best to check spots like under the hood, under the dash, and air cleaner for signs of gold paint.

Tim *PloughNman* Daley(MI)

By definition the serial number range is not inclusive. The range includes many models / variants that were never offered as Gold Demos. All tractors coming down the line were serialed consecutively regardless of model.

Dylan, if you are asking how many were made, there is no record of that, but the general consensus is that Ford pressured every dealer to take at least one, and there were many more dealers back then before consolidation and major highways. They are not rare enough to generally be worth much of a premium.

871, 881, 971, 981 as far as I know

I could easily be wrong, but I thought any SOS-equipped model could have been a Gold Demo, from the 671 to the 1881.

I have seen a few that were 671 or 681. Have seen one 1871 that belonged to Dwight Emstrom a big Ford collector from Illinois. Most are 871, 881, 971, 981 like Larry said. I would assume there were some 771s but I have never seen one. I have a 981 that is restored and an 881 that I bought as a parts tractor but it has gold all over under the blue and gray paint. It is on the to do list.