It is 25 years since the first Ford Genesis (Ford/New Holland 70-series and Fiat G-range) mechanical front-wheel drive tractors started rolling off the line at the factory in Winnipeg in September 1993, and to mark the occasion a special edition version of the Cummins-powered Versatile 365 (365/400hp) was unveiled at the recent Manitoba Ag Days.
Painted black with a silver fleck, the tractor will tour the shows this year to see whether there is interest from dealers and potential customers. If so, then the company might produce a limited run of tractors finished in the same livery. However, it is just a temporary thing is the message, and Versatile’s traditional red, yellow and black colour scheme is here to stay.
With changes in ownership over the past 25 years, Manitoba-made tractors have been sold in seven different brands. In 2000, the factory was sold to John Buhler, and for the next 7-8 years the tractors were branded as the Buhler Genesis. Russian firm Rostselmash bought Buhler in 2007 and the Versatile brand was revived in 2008.
