Old Fordson dealer service van

WIZZO · Jan 25, 2015

Fordson 7V rolling chassis with locally built van body used as the on farm [tractor] service truck.

Inside showing the bins for parts on the sides, and a steel RSJ in the roof area to act as crane for lifting engines. At the front are new fuel tanks

The replacement engine is moved by chain hoist along the RSJ beam. The company rebuilt Fordson engines in their depots and could take them onto farms. The old engine lifted from the tractor and the rebuilt engine lifted into place.

wisbaker · Jan 25, 2015

So Britain had Mega Dealers years ago? Could we
say it's their fault?

Buddy · Jan 25, 2015

I been enjoying these old pictures.
Their (WAS) a time that the dealers cared and serviced what they sold.
I truly wish things were still like that.

WIZZO · Jan 25, 2015

(quoted from post at 07:22:08 01/25/15) So Britain had Mega Dealers years ago? Could we
say it's their fault?

Reginald Tildesley started as a dealer in 1913 and became one of the 3 largest Ford dealers in Britain, ending up with 7 depots and several sub-dealers by 1980.

In the 1940's he was retailing 600+ new tractors and in the 1950's over 1000 new tractors per year! They also manufactured tractor variations and farm implements. Most of the trade-ins were rebuilt and resold to smaller farmers. Part of their trading area was the industrial Midlands of England, so they sold many tractors & construction machines to industrial users.

RT was killed in car crash in 1956 but his two daughters were not involved with the running of the business. The company failed in 1982 due to the activities of their wizz-kid managers in their leasing division. You do not bounce a check on Ford Motor Company!

I knew the family, and the company as a machinery suppliers' area sales manager. The family donated to me all their stock records and photographs dating back 1913. There was so much unique information that in 1984 I wrote & published a book on their company history.

wjytexas · Jan 25, 2015

Both farmer and mechanic appear to be wearing
ties. I enjoy Vintage Country Ways on the RFD
channel. Often they wear ties and tweed jackets at
plowdays. My Dad started teaching VoAg in 1939 and
many old pictures show he and his fellow teachers
in boots, wearing hats and a tie. T-shirts are
more the fashion for tractor shows today. (Not
complaining)

pete 23 · Jan 25, 2015

That is interesting. Wish we would have had a good service truck. But then, I never liked doing repairs out on the farm, maybe because we didn't have a good service truck. Now day, a whole lot of farmers have nice shops to work in. Back a few years if you could get inside of a pole barn you were lucky. I noticed the neckties also. I was stationed in Newfoundland for two years in the Army. All the locals wore a tie, even when they were out in the woods cutting pulp or fishing on the rivers.

Old Fordson dealer service van

WIZZO

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wisbaker

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Buddy

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WIZZO

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wjytexas

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pete 23

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