Vintage tractor 'sale of the year' to go ahead in Essex

The sale is one of the most comprehensive assortments of classic tractors to come to the market, Cheffins says
The sale is one of the most comprehensive assortments of classic tractors to come to the market, Cheffins says

Over 90 classic and vintage tractors are to be offered next month in what has been tipped to be 'the sale of the year in the vintage calendar'.

East Anglian-based auctioneer Cheffins will host an on-site sale of classic and vintage tractors, implements and spares on 3 July at Shrubbs Farm, near Sheering, Essex.

Owned by well-known collectors Ian and Martin Liddell, the collection is one of the foremost in the UK, with a focus on Ford tractors and Ford-based conversions.

The collection was amassed by Ian Liddell and his son Martin, from the 1980s onwards.

The sale will also include a number of other working classic tractors from the arable farm based near Bishops Stortford.

One of the rarest tractors on offer is a rare prototype six-cylinder Northrop which has an estimate of £40,000 - £50,000.

Another lot expected to generate interest is a1983 County 1474 which has done less than 100 hours in the past 25 years, expected to sell for £60,000 - £70,000.

There is also a 1965 Doe 130 (estimate £40,000 - £50,000), a 1989 Ford 7810 Silver Jubilee (estimate £35,000 - £45,000) and a 1978 Massey Ferguson 1200 (estimate £15,000 – £20,000.

There are also eight classic County tractors, six Roadless, 15 Fords, 20 Fordsons, as well as five Internationals.

The collection has been carefully amassed over many years
The collection has been carefully amassed over many years

Oliver Godfrey, director at Cheffins, said the event was tipped to be the sale of the year in the vintage calendar.

"The Shrubbs Farm Collection is one of the most comprehensive assortments of classic tractors to have ever come to the market," he added.

"The collection has been carefully amassed over many years, creating an historical timeline of the development of agricultural machinery from the 1960s onwards.

"When most collectors viewed post-war tractors and those from the 1960’s and 1970’s onwards as too new to be considered for preservation, the Liddell’s went against the grain and saw the potential for these newer classics.

"These large single-owner collections are getting increasingly rare in the market and the Shrubbs Farm Collection is a one-off opportunity for the serious collectors."

As well as classic tractors, the Shrubbs Farm Collection also encompasses 14 crawlers dating from the 1940s and 1950s.