As reported back on April 16, what has been described as “one of the most important collections of classic Ford and Ford-related tractors” will be sold at auction next month (Saturday, May 12) in England.
The collection is owned by tractor enthusiast Paul Cable (pictured above). The auction – comprising 38 sought-after classic tractors and piles of implements and spares – will be conducted by Cheffins.
Also Read: Auction preview: 38 restored ‘blues’ to go ‘under the hammer’The auction is expected to generate in excess of £500,000.
A glimpse inside the shed, showing a sample of Paul Cable’s 38-strong tractor collection
Amassed over 14 years of collecting, many of the tractors on offer are some of the rarest examples of their type to have hit the market – including the uncommon Fordson County derivatives such as the Super-4, Super-6 and a 1957 Four Drive.
Photographer and video guru Tim Scrivener, who routinely visits auctions and on-site sales for AgriLand, travelled to Paul Cable’s base – Colesdale Farm, Potters Bar in Hertfordshire (England) – to meet the man and find out how he began to build up this impressive collection.
In this brief video (above), Paul explains how he started contracting in 1967 as a one-man band. The following year, he bought a brand new County 1124.
He said: “Once I bought the 1124 I was ploughing left, right and centre. Business progressed on and on.”
Fast forward to 2003; when Paul decided that he’d “had enough”. He explained: “I was employing about 12-14 men. I wasn’t enjoying it anymore; so I decided to pack it all up.
“Then I decided to collect tractors. I’d already had a Doe Triple-D for several years.
One year I got a little bit serious; I bought 13 tractors. My wife was saying: ‘What are you doing?’
“Thank goodness I did; there’s 38 tractors here now. If I hadn’t collected them then, you can’t find some of these today.
“Saturday, May 12, is going to be a sad old day; an interesting day but a sad day – when Cheffins comes along as the auctioneer. In about an hour [Cheffins] will have sold my collection.”
Stay tuned to AgriLand for more in-depth preview reports (with detailed picture galleries from Tim Scrivener and nuggets of useful information on many of the tractors up for grabs) and follow-up coverage (afterwards; with prices).
