I don't KNOW the reason for any of your questions, but I have some opinions: I think Ford continued to sell the N tractors (with some changes and refinements over the years) because they continued to be able to sell a whole bunch of them each year. And for what they were built for, the N's were very sophisticated for the time. I also think that tractor manufacturers were extremely cost conscious, since price was one of the main factors in deciding what to buy. Adding features cost money, and unless you could convince the farmer that spending the additional money for features would MAKE him money by increased productivity, it was a pretty hard sell.
It was the same with the automakers. How many cars of the 40's and early 50's were air conditioned? Or had power steering? Or power brakes? Today it is almost hard to find a car without all three, as well as an automatic transmission. Since the 40's we have been conditioned to expect more out of our cars, and it is the same with trucks and tractors. Plain Jane, super simple (or as simple as the government allows them to be!) cars sell poorly these days. So the manufacturers build what they think will sell.
I wonder what would have happened if Ford had decided to continue to manufacture the N as it was built in 1952? I wonder if they would still find buyers for new N's all these years later? And what a new 2008 N would cost?
Obviously Ford decided that the N needed a replacement in 1952, to continue to sell lots of tractors. Since I have had experience with both N's and hundred series tractors, I would say that I think they made the right decision, at least at that time.
Competition improves products over time. When a company came out with live PTO, and that tractor's buyers made it known that live PTO was worth the extra money because it made it possible to work things better, the other companies were more or less FORCED to come up with their own live PTO systems, or else lose sales. The same with many other innovations.
I sure like my brother's 50 or so horsepower 4WD New Holland loader tractor. It is easy to run and will do lots of things better than my old 641D. But I wonder how the plastic and fiberglass parts, as well as the electrical and electronics parts will hold up long term. And I sure don't have $25K in my old tractor.
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Today's Featured Article - History of the Nuffield Tractor - by Anthony West. The Nuffield tractor story started in early 1945. The British government still reeling from the effects of the war on the economy, approached the Nuffield organization to see if they would design and build an "ALL NEW" British built wheeled tractor, suitable for both British and world farming.
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