Those who would wish to boast of having a Ferrari or Lamborghini in their shed will have the opportunity to purchase either at the upcoming Cheffins sale in Ely, Cambridgeshire.
It must be noted, however, that neither are likely to whizz around circles in flashes of red and yellow, instead, they will better suit the rallies and road-runs of the local vintage tractor club.
Italian exotica in white
The Lamborghini FL2 is a two-cylinder model from the Italian stable and although it is unclear as to what its power rating is, the auctioneers tell us that it is from 1988 and hardly used.
Ferruccio Lamborghini, who was considered a natural engineer, started making tractors in the late 1940s from military surplus parts and soon established a successful manufacturing business.
A tiff with Enzo Ferrari over a car that he had purchased led to Ferruccio claiming that he could do better, and he set out to do just that. The tractor division later passed into the hands of SAME Deutz Fahr which still keeps the brand going for certain markets.
Italian exotica in green
Although the Lamborghini has some connection with the car company, the Ferrari has no such illustrious associations – the manufacturer being a completely separate business to that of the car maker.
Ferrari (tractors) formed in the 1950s and now focuses on making vineyard tractors powered by Kohler engines.
The model up for sale in Cambridgeshire is a Ferrari 76 from 1975 which offers 45hp in a compact articulated frame, a hallmark of the brand.
Blues and reds abound
Other gems to be sold on the day include a Roadless conversion to an IH 634 dating from around 1970. This marks a change from the usual Ford conversions of both Roadless and County, although whether that will add to the price remains to be seen.
There are a good number of both Countys and Fords available, including a restored Ford 7000 and 7810 with Hy-Va front-end linkage.
A nicely presented Leyalnd 384 from 1972 is also on offer, a tractor somewhat ahead of its time in the UK having four-wheel drive.
At the time the big Anglo American companies were telling farmers that it wasn’t necessary for anything less than 100hp, but continental manufacturers knew better and this was a brave attempt by Leyland to catch up.
The live auction starts at 10:00a.m on Friday, July 22, at Sutton, Ely, Cambridgeshire.
