A very interesting and historic Massey Ferguson 165

Peter Love spotlights a very special 1968 Massey Ferguson 165 Multi-Power that boasts a fascinating and unique history.

In this feature I got the chance to take a close look at a tractor that has so much history to it, which was used by the late William Fuller (the owner of Four Wheel Traction Ltd) as his research and development tractor on his Taylor’s Farm in East Sussex. William’s close friend Paul Vickery purchased the 165 from the family, which was in pieces at the time of his death in 2007. Paul has now rebuilt the tractor in working style and enjoyed displaying it at various shows. However, he has other tractor projects in the shed and has decided to sell it at the Cheffins Vintage Collective on Saturday 20 July at Sutton, Cambridge. CMFE went along to see this fascinating and rare tractor, a type that hardly ever comes up on the preservation market, especially with the early axle design.

William Fuller joined Robert Eden Ltd in 1950; the 1948 company was based in Kent and had been buying up second hand tractors and exporting them across the world. A good number ended up in Italy with Dr Segre Amar’s company Selene (named after his wife) where he engineered the four-wheel drive Manual (named after his son) axle/transfer kit. As is well known, it was essentially based on the World War Two military axles as fitted to the Jeep, GMC range and the Chrysler Dodge 214 front axle.

Amar designed the system to be driven from the PTO via a transfer box, which could be fitted without splitting the tractor. However, this did limit the use of the PTO. In fact he had five designs all patented, and it is well known that Roadless had the manufacturing licence in the UK for Fordson tractors, which was signed up in 1952.

It was in that year that William Fuller, who was a good engineer, bought Robert Eden Ltd and started importing, through his connection with Segre Amar, four-wheel drive kits from Italy for his Ferguson (Jeep front axle) and later Massey Ferguson customers’ tractors. These were reasonably popular in hilly districts of the UK, and he also exported these tractors, particularly the MF 35s, abroad as well. Into the early 1960s MF 65s got the four-wheel drive treatment from the now called Four Wheel Traction Ltd, 15 North Audley Street, London. As time went on Fuller beefed up the Selene transfer box, and you can identify these as RE is stamped into the rear cover plate on the axle.

Into the 100 series and Fuller persuaded Amar to agree to him fitting a sandwich box transfer system of his own design and with the approval of Massey Ferguson, who were obsessed with their Pressure Control System and not very interested in the four-wheel drive system. Two types of reduction systems were offered, in fact this 165 has the creeper box option of the later design. The Selene business was subsequently taken over by Schindler of Switzerland in 1970.

As time went on more of the axles were Fuller’s rather than Selene’s and he used Bedford KM military truck parts in them as well, but that’s another story. Things were good for Four Wheel Traction Ltd until William Fuller, a very slight man, was visiting France. Beauvais revealed to him its own 500 series four-wheel drive tractor from underneath a sheet; it was such a shock as Fuller had been developing his own 565 four-wheel drive system. However, it was the same as when Ford developed its own line, which eventually brought down Roadless and County.

It was basically the end for Fuller’s major tractor manufacturing aspirations, even though he had a strong overseas trade, particularly from the Philippines. He soldiered on selling spares, and other items, including his monthly red covered tractor price guides of second hand values, which were the bible for dealers. These small guides contained invaluable information, but are hardly ever mentioned these days and don’t come up at auction either, but in their day you had to have them to keep up with it all.

Fuller’s London works was not far from the Roadless establishment at Hounslow, and he also purchased Taylor’s Farm in East Sussex, near Heathfield, around 1964, which gave him an ideal base to try out his latest developments. The farm was not far from where his mother lived, however he commuted to his London town house during the week and suffered his marriage ending in divorce.  As time went on and things slowed down, William moved out of London and ran his business from his East Sussex farm.

Thanks to his friendship with Paul and Diane Vickery, who looked after his house and his well being, William’s enthusiasm for Four Wheel Traction Ltd was kept alive through his friendship with Paul, who is really an IHC man; however, he came to learn and enjoyed William’s knowledge and the Four Wheel Tractor Ltd. Paul even got him involved in the preservation movement and William took the work’s 165 on a number of road runs and to the Heathfield Show. One of the last was at a rather wet Heathfield Show on a late May bank holiday Saturday, when the 165’s traction system came into play.

Sadly, William died in 2007 and at his memorial service the late Mike Thorne brought up the Fuller family-owned Four Wheel Traction Ltd 35X that carried 4:1 reduction units, which made the wheel base 305mm (1 foot) longer!

At that point the 165 No. 553675 was in pieces and was bought by Paul from the family. The Perkins engine has been rebuilt by Fred Gilies, who is renowned for good workmanship and specialises in older machinery, from steam to commercial vehicles. Paul always tries to keep his tractors in original style condition and this is how he went about the re-restoration.

However, the Lambourn cab needs some work on the inner wing section and, as I walked around the tractor, I thought it would look good when cleaned up with a coat of Owatrol sealing oil. This stops the rust coming through and seals the tractor’s metal work, giving it a permanent patina-style shine, which this tractor lends itself to.

There are hardly any opportunities to purchase a genuine Four Wheel Traction Ltd Massey Ferguson tractor in the first place, let alone William Fuller’s genuine works example, but here it is for all MF collectors to go for. It’s to be offered on Saturday 20 July at the Cheffins Vintage Collective, at their Sutton, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB67 2QT live and on-line sale. Further details on this important sale are available from the Cheffins website or tel: 01353 777767 option 2. This is certainly a rare opportunity that should not be missed.

This feature comes from the latest issue of Classic Massey & Ferguson Enthusiast, and you can get a money-saving subscription to this magazine simply by clicking HERE