East Anglian-based auctioneer, Cheffins, has broken the record for the highest price paid for a classic tractor with £94,500 achieved for a 1981 Ford County 1474 Long Nose, against an estimate of £60,000 – £70,000. Sold as part of a landmark auction of classic Ford and Fordson tractors on behalf of well-known enthusiast Paul Cable, was purchased by an Irish collector.
The Paul Cable collection, which went under the hammer near Potters Bar in Hertfordshire, comprised of 38 sought-after Ford classic tractors and piles of implements and spares. Amassed over 14 years, many of the tractors on offer were some of the rarest examples of their type to have hit the market, including the uncommon Fordson County derivatives such as the Super-4, Super-6 and a 1957 Four Drive.
“The prices achieved at this astonishing auction far exceeded our expectations,” said Cheffins chairman Bill King. “With a huge crowd of enthusiasts from throughout the UK and particularly Ireland, there was strong bidding throughout with several record prices being achieved.”
The second highest value tractor on offer on the day was a 1981 County 1184 which sold for £56,700 to a Lincolnshire farmer; swiftly followed by the 1961 Doe Triple-D, sold to a buyer from Scotland for £44,100. Similarly, a low-houred 1979 County 1174 which operated at Stansted Airport sold for £43,050, over double its lower estimate of £20,000 and is set for Ireland.
Other high value lots from the day included a 1989 Ford 7810 ‘Silver Jubilee’ (£37,275), a 1979 County 1174 (£35,700), a 1986 Ford FW-60 (£30,975), a 1975 Ford 7000 (£27,825), a 1982 Ford TW-30 (£26,250), a 2013 Land Rover Discovery (£23,100) and a 1977 County 7600-Four (£23,100).
