Ferguson-Brown record-breaker!
Posted by Chris Graham on 26th August 2021
Peter Love reports on an HJ Pugh & Co auction that saw plenty of interesting tractors sold and a Ferguson-Brown record-breaker.
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Ferguson-Brown record-breaker: This fine Ferguson-Brown A sold for a record price of £53,000!
HJ Pugh & Co held a two-day auction on July 16th-17th, as a combination of the sales the company would have normally staged at the Much Marcle and Welland rally sites.
The sale was one of two halves; the first section of tractors saw unbelievable prices achieved in more ways than one, which I’ll come to. But the second half wasn’t as impressive, although there was certainly something for everyone’s pocket.
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£10,000 was paid for the 1976 MF 135 (left), while the 165 sold for £11,000.
There’s certainly no shortage of interesting tractors to go for on the market at the moment but, every now and then, something really special comes up that two people desperately want. This was exactly the case with a 1938 Ferguson-Brown A (No. 502), registered GNO 521 and sold with a V5C and original, enclosed-pattern rear tyres. The result was that the hammer fell at an amazing £53,000, which beat the previous best price achieved by a restored example of this model, by a whopping £28,000!
I’ve not seen an example looking so good, or with so much documentation, for many years; it was a real treat. Restored examples were making about £18,000 in 2019. How things have changed!
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This 1950 Field-Marshall Series 3 sold for a record price of £28,000.
Another machine that did well was a 1976 Massey Ferguson 135, (Reg. PHH 595R), which had been restored by James Cardis, from Cumbria. It sold for £10,000, despite not having a cab. Also of note was the 1970 MF 165 – also restored by James – that fetched £11,000.
A 1950 Field-Marshall Series 3 (No. 12962), restored by Robert H Crawford, featured a Hesford winch and was registered XBV 309. It also had a V5C and instruction book, but was painted orange rather than green. Nevertheless, it still made a record price for this model of £28,000.
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This original, but tatty, MF185 sold for a good £5,800, complete with a V5C.
A well-restored 1954 Lanz 9506 Bulldog, 408 UXT, sold for a thumping £20,500, and certainly made the ex-Australian Lanz 48hp Bulldog, sold for £11,900 by Stroud Auctions a week earlier, look like a real bargain.
As for the tractor I liked best, it had to be a clean Fordson 52in KFD conversion. It was a gem of a machine, and went on to sell for £7,500. It will certainly clean up well and will also need a new set of rear tyres to replace the non-original industrial tyres currently fitted.
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This Nuffield 4/65 (left) could have been yours for £3,500, while the original JD 2650 went on to make £6,400.
The parts highlight came when three, wooden ‘Fordson’ signs sold for £580. A new Ferguson-Brown A exhaust system was moved on for £300 and a Ransomes ‘Stocked Here’ 19x15in enamel sign made an impressive £700. Finally, a Ransomes TS64, with TCN bodies, could have been yours for £600.
Results (abridged)
1963 MF 35 with bull bar and weights, £3,800
MF 135, with pick-up hitch and bull bar, £5,200
1965 MF 145, front loader, £5,400
1984 MF 165, open centre with weights, £4,800
1970 Nuffield 4/25, log-splitter, £3,700
MF 165, with cab, V5C, £11,000
1938 Ferguson-Brown A, no. 502, £53,000*
1950 Field-Marshall S3, with Hesford winch, V5C, painted orange, £28,000*
Cantore Nuffield Universal 3, 4WD conversion, £8,500
Nuffield M3 row-crop, ‘dusty’, £3,800
Fordson Major KFD 52in conversion, £7,500
County Hi-Clear Major, £7,000
1976 MF 185, LFM 285P, V5C, original style, £5,800
MF, Lambourn cab, £4,100
1919 Fordson F, a very old resto, lots of patina, £5,000
A Field-Marshall 3 (green), MFF 884, £12,500
1946 John Deere D, styled, running, £2,800 +VAT
International WD-9, older resto, £4,200
Nuffield 465, restored, looked good V5C, £3,500
John Deere 2650, 2WD, original, £6,400
1954 Lanz 9506, 408 UXT, f/spring and screen added, £20,500
1918 International Titan, no. TV9782, ex-Doward collection, £15,500
MF 35, looked good, £5,100
Landini L25, ex-Peter Griffiths, £6,500
Fordson E27N P6, factory-fitted, £11,000
MF 35X Multi-Power, £6,000
1930 Austin DE30 vineyard, original, £11,500
Leyland 154, show condition, stunning, £5,400
MF 165 Multi-Power, Duncan cab, original clean, £6,500
* Record price
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