Got to thinking

My Uncle bought a new 35 Ferguson Deluxe in 1954 and a new Massey Ferguson 65 in 1957. Why did Ferguson go in with Massey. I didn't think Massey had much to offer that Ferguson would of wanted.

I believe that Ferguson wanted Massey Harris's dealership network and other equipment. They felt that they would be a more full line brand/company. I think it was not a mistake but not that much of a help either. Massey Harris was not wide enough accepted/spread to really help that much.

I also think the Massey Harris engineering hurt rather than helped Ferguson.

The merger put them in the #2 spot, ahead of Deere and behind IH as the world's #2 producer of agricultural equipment and it fostered a new line of tractors to the world. The Massey engineers took the Ferguson 40 and turned it into the Massey Ferguson 50, which infuriorated Harry Ferguson to the point of his leaving the board of directors. He later OD'd on barbiturates. Accidentally or on purpose? No one knows.

Seems like Harry had a bit of a temper when you hear some of the stories about his dealings with both Massey and Ford....

Donovan from Wisconsin

In addition to what JD seller pointed out: I would think that the merger with Massey Harris also gave him some production factories and even the possibility making an engine himself if he chose to do that.

Prior to the merger seems like the tractors Harry built was more on the contract or outsource method and heavily relied on continental engines to make the one or two models that he was offering. Outsourcing/Contracting/farming work out/ is pretty much the "in thing" and accepted way of doing business today, but would have been rather taboo back in the 1950's .

North American/worldwide distribution and production! Massey Harris was a hugely successful agricultural company long before Ferguson came along. They bought out Ferguson, not the other way around. Ferguson was getting older and didn't have the resources or production capacity to keep up with the demand for his tractors. It proved to be one of the greatest mergers of all time. Shortly after they also purchased Perkins which was sold to Cat a few years back for 1.2 billion. I think Massey Harris may have even been the largest agricultural implement company in N. America for a time because of a wide product line. Possibly because they were a Canadian company is why there isn't as much written about them as IH or JD etc. I think if you do some research, you'll find out they were a much broader company than most people give them credit for.

If Ford screwed me over the way Ford did Harry Ferguson, I would show a little temper too!

But, I will add, that for all his smarts, cutting a deal with just a handshake, (if that is the true story), was not a wise business move.

Lets see, they had enough money to purchase Harry Ferguson Ltd, then Perkins a few years later and ended up being the number one selling line of tractors in the world for decades. The Massey Ferguson 100 series is the most successful line of tractors ever built. If they weren't wide enough accepted, where did all this money come from to purchase Ferguson, Perkins and then spend over a million man hours designing/engineering the 100 series?

As was pointed out Ferguson was getting older but he still had visions...He really wanted to get into harvesting to complete his line up of machinery and who was any better at harvesters/combines at the time than Massey Harris?. He had finally identified the need for a larger line of tractors and didn't think much of the Nashers or Deere at the time. Massey Harris however were evolving and improving their line. He did want their dealerships to spread the sales of his tractors.....MH was quite big in Europe at the time with factorys in France, England and Scotland....Deere was a non runner and International was clumsy and out dated in Harry's eyes. Ferguson had a new tractor designed and tested at the time and he assumed it would be built under the New Merger...He did not initially sell out to MH, But when he heard plans to scrap 'His' new tractor he wanted out.
Massey Ferguson went on to be the best selling tractor in the World. A few years back, before the drop of the Iron Curtain, they sold half the tractors in the Western World, which left every one else to sell the other half! Agco is still the largest tractor maker in the World if you take into account all the companies it has under it's belt and then there are all the MF derivitive tractors that are produced around the World under licence and using differrent brand names..
I think I will keep on working them their pedigree is good enough for me!!!
Sam

Except if a person reads the whole history, it was the other way around.
Starting with the 9n model in 39, Ford was to buld the tractors & sell to Ferguson for a set price. Ferguson was to build the implements & operate the dealerships, selling to the farmers at whatever price he could get.
Henry I's son Edsel died in about 43, never got a chance to take over his father's business. Henry I died in about 45. His grandson (Edsel's son) Henry II took over & finally figured out that they had lost 16 million building tractors while Ferguson had made 9 million profit selling them. That led to Henry II breaking the agreement & coming out with the 8n model in late 47.
Side note: the Massey family got out of the partnership in about 35, but by some agreement their name stayed on. Also 55 was the only year that carried all three names- Massy - Harris -Ferguson.
Willie

Back then, a hand-shake agreement was just as valid, and just as legally binding as, a formally written agreement because it was based upon the "personal HONOR" of both parties. The only problem with that is, years later when memories fade, any discrepancy now becomes a "he said - she said" type of argument because there was no written agreement that specifically details the conditions of the agreement.

The lawsuit was for patent infringement and Ferguson won. Without Ferguson's 3 pt. hitch, Ford wouldn't have sold any tractors. I think if you read publications about Ford you get that side of the story and if you read publications on Ferguson, you get that side of the story. Harry Ferguson and Henry Ford had a mutual respect for one another. Henry II blew that out of the water. Henry II had his own agenda. Years later he was the one that gave Lee Iaccoca the boot from Ford.

Boy,Someone sure got you brainwashed Samm.Harry was a very good con artist,getting others to build tractors for him.David Brown,til they kicked him out,Ford until thay did the same,and then Massy but they got the best of him and forced him to sell out.(his seat&Shares.)He never did build(have) a successful tractor company,went belly up in all them. As far as the best selling tractor line,HOW many bankruptcys and buyouts has it taken for the MF line to still be around.?AS far as U,S. and Can.Agco has made a bad move keeping MF Name and dropping one of the others.

Not brainwashed but fact...David brown was not building tractors fast enough for ole Harry so he went to Ford who did the dirt after him sucessfully selling the tractors for them. Ford did not sell the Ford 8N, Ferguson did! Then they stole his patent...MH decided not to build the LTX tractor and Harry was to old and tired to fight with them. Plus he was back home developing 4 wheel drive systems and ABS braking never mind the torque convertor transmission and the viscous coupling.Try taking the Ferguson ideas off any modern tractor and see what you have left?
And yes there is a market for tractors outside America....And that market was filled with Massey Fergusons. Agco may have been ruthless in their takeovers, but the fact is they know the MF line is the best seller.
Sam

That's kinda what I was thinking. It was advertised as Ford tractor with the Ferguson system. And as you stated, Ford would not have sold many tractors without it. The Ferguson system revolutionized farming at the time.

In addition to what was pointed out by Dr Walt, below, a handshake agreement ends with the death of one of the shakers. It all ended quite "legally" though, after Ford's lawyers convinced the court that the three point hitch was so important to agriculture that it shouldn't be vested in just one company and besides, Harry Ferguson had not suffered any loss because his new Ferguson tractors were a stunning market success. The rest, as they say, is history.

Nice chat,in Ford Tractors vs Harrys TOs.10yr.period,Ford sold better then twice the tractors as Harry plus Harry had more dealers than Ford.As far as modern tractors,almost no one including MF uses the Ferguson system,they almost all use the draft system developed(patent) by Allis Chalmers.