Ford tractors

Dec 1, 2008 12:00 PM, John Kestner

Although the “Green” and the “Red” tend to attract the lion's share of attention, another great name in American agriculture was Ford. In The Big Book of Ford Tractors: The Complete Model-By-Model Encyclopedia, Harold L. Brock and Robert N. Pripps explain how Henry Ford, a Michigan farm boy, sought to replace human sweat and muscle with mechanics.

The authors emphasize that much of the company's early success was the result of world-class engineering, especially the work of Irish-born Harry Ferguson. They provide a comprehensive review of the various early N models as well as the post-war (post-Ford family) models. The company moved from producing from just a handful of tractors models in 1965, to manufacturing 40 different ones on the eve of the brand's demise in the consolidation era of the 1990s.

The authors provide a wealth of technical details, presented in an engaging blend of photographs, tables and text. Price: $39.95. Contact Voyageur Press (see contact information at right), or circle 150.