Orange Tractor.

BMC Nuffield Mini Tractor.

William Morris, the manufacturer and brains behind Morris cars in the early 20th century, got into tractor production at the end of WW2 with the very successful Nuffield tractor range. He specified a bright orange colour for his tractors so that they could be seen working in the fields.

By the end of the 1960's the tractor range was beginning to look dated so he called on Harry Ferguson Design to develop a new small tractor and restyle the others. The result was the 4/65 and 3/45 Nuffield's and this Nuffield Mini Tractor.

Using a variation of the current car and van engine at around 15 hp this tractor, smaller than a TE (TO) Ferguson was the result. Sales were aimed at horticultural and sports field and green space maintenance market. The tractor was popular and farmers soon found a use for them for mucking out small buildings, when fitted with a loader. Although it had no draught control hydraulics, Harry Ferguson used a unique method of load and depth control going back to his original designs of variable linkage hitch positions which worked extremely well with smaller ploughs and other cultivation implements. Over the years the tractor hp was increased from 15 to 25 hp and later models used a 30 hp engine.
Nuffield Mini Tractor

That gives me a little pang of wanting to quit farming and just play around with toys like that one.