'Impressive' vintage tractor collection raises more than £300,000 at auction

Vintage tractors included a 1920s Rock Island and an original Fordson prototype
Vintage tractors included a 1920s Rock Island and an original Fordson prototype

A vintage tractor auction which saw 156 items listed, including 58 tractors and two combine harvesters has raised more than £300,000.

Haulier, farmer and vintage collector Allen Brown decided to retire and sell his impressive collection of agricultural equipment.

Mr Brown had run a successful haulage firm in Ripon, North Yorkshire, and amassed the collection of tractors over many years in business.

156 items were listed at the Bell Ingram auction, including 58 tractors and two combine harvesters and a host of more unique items such as turnip snaggers, root choppers and mangles.

The sale took place in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, with bidders travelling from across Britain to try to get their hands on some of the bespoke items. 1000 people were in attendance.

The sale presented buyers with a unique opportunity to purchase a variety of classic tractors and machinery, some restored to a high standard and others in genuine, original condition.

Some of the earliest items up for auction included a turnip gapper, originally used for thinning turnips, as well as a Bamlett cutter bar, which would have been used to hitch up to a horse.

Vintage tractors included a 1920s Rock Island and an original Fordson prototype while some of the more modern offerings came from recognisable names such as Ford and John Deere.

The auction follows news of a Ford County 1474 Long Nose breaking the record for the highest price paid for a classic tractor, reaching £94,500.