The show was hosted by the Natal Vintage Tractor & Machinery Club (NVT&MC), and tractors, implements and engines were brought from far and near to compete in this biennial event.
Lanz Bulldog (Above)
Beautifully restored by Kobus Groenewald of the Western Cape, this 1952 Bulldog was the winner in the Tractor Diesel (TD) Class for rubber-tyre tractors built between 1949 and 1960.
The Bulldog was manufactured by Heinrich Lanz AG in Mannheim, Germany, from 1921 until 1960, with more than 220 000 being produced. It had a horizontal single cylinder, two-stroke, hot-bulb engine, with the later 10,3-litre models producing 41kW. The hot-bulb engines were easy to maintain and could use a wide variety of low-grade fuels, and even waste oil.
Ferguson TED
This 1955 model owned by Hannes Smit from the northern Free State Vintage Tractor Club (and seen here with Jan Joubert behind the wheel) came second in Class TD.
Minneapolis-Moline Model U
Hannes Smit (seen here) also won third prize in the TD class with this 1955 Model U. The Minneapolis-Moline Power Implement Company was formed in 1929 with the merging of three old line farm equipment companies, the oldest dating back to 1865. The Model U was built from 1938 to 1957.
Fordson Dexta
The Dexta used the same Perkins P3 engine block as the MF35, but there were many differences, including the injection system.
An ambitious publicity stunt was staged to launch the arrival of the new tractors in South Africa in 1958 when a team of the little tractors was used to build a sizeable dam near Bloemfontein. Mark Hohls of the Highveld Veteran Tractor and Engine Club is seen here with his 1958 Fordson Dexta.
Case DC
When Kevin Mollentz, a member of the NVT&MC, found this 1951 Case DC it had been partly submerged in a dam for a number of years. His reclamation work involved the complete re-building of the starter and the manufacture of several parts, including the headlamp surrounds and the radiator cap, which Kevin cast in aluminium. The mid-mounted hoe was originally on a John Deere.
County Crawler
Once highly effective on the extreme slopes of KZN canefields, the County Crawler was superseded by the County 4WD. In the 1970s, KZN was the leading market for County tractors world-wide. This 1972 County Crawler is owned by Geoff Clinton-Parker of the NVT&MC.
County 1454
The Mapstone family of Baynesfield presented this magnificent 1974 County 1454 to Eric Lewis to be exhibited by the NVT&MC when it was retired from active service. In its day it was one of the most powerful tractors on the market; Eric restored it to its former glory.
Allis Chalmers CA
Back in 1932, Allis Chalmers was the first company to put its tractors on low pressure pneumatic tyres. In 1933, it launched a novel publicity campaign where a team of specially modified tractors were raced at speeds of 50km/h and more. Well-known racing drivers drove the tractors and the races became a popular feature at state fairs. Clinton Knight owns this 1954 model.
Ransomes MG-6
Ransomes Market Garden tractors were built from 1936 until 1965. The MG-6 model was launched at the 1953 Smithfield Show in London. Koos Naudé (seen here) won a first prize for crawler tractors and another first in the category for best tractor and implement combination.
Vaaljapie/Twose roller combination
Peter Ivins from Ixopo in KZN, the owner of this unusual combination, claims that there are only five like it left in the world. His 1952 unit was originally owned by the Ixopo Municipality. The combination is a good example of the range of implements and attachments that were manufactured to team with the famous Ferguson.