For the last 30 years, Gerhard Fouche has farmed maize, wheat and soya beans at his Free State farm and, over the years, has cultivated a love for Ford tractors.
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Alongside the production of the two-door Capri, Escort, Fairlane, Granada and many other venerated Ford models, the Neave Assembly was tasked with assembling Ford’s Thames and Louisville trucks and the Fordson Major diesel tractors. This episode of “Our Ford Stories” highlights one Ford enthusiast’s collection of Ford tractors from a bygone era.
The farm is named Eden and is located between Clocolan and Marquard in the Eastern Free State. The farm is home to Fouche’s noteworthy collection of Ford Tractors. In Fouche’s collection is a 1948 Fordson Major, likely the E27N model, which features a 4.4-litre four-cylinder capable of producing 33.6 kW. Another noteworthy model in his collection is a 1965 Ford 5000 tractor that was offered in a diesel or petrol variant with a 3.8-litre four-cylinder engine. The Ford 5000 tractor could be outfitted with an eight-speed transmission, but customers could opt for the “select-o-speed” transmission, consisting of ten forward gears.
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The opener to the video showcases Fouche behind the wheel of his Ford 8730. According to Fouche, this model was the last big tractor Ford produced used by Boer farmers. At its core is a 6.6-litre size-cylinder diesel engine mated to Ford’s Power Shift transmission, praised by Fouche as one of the components that make it a competent machine.
“My onderbroek is ook blou, my bloed is ook blou en my vertroue in die goed [Ford tractors] is baie.” – Gerhard Fouche
