In Reply to: ferguson/dearborn posted by curtis on March 25, 2011 at 11:24:41:
Hi Curtis-
Like I said before, no need to feel embarassed about posting ANY question you might have- that's why we're here. Anyway, I received your pictures and what you have is a Ferguson-Sherman D-21 Middlebuster. As I suspected, there was never an implement with BOTH a Ferguson AND a DEARBORN tag. Your tag says "Dearborn Mich" -where Ferguson was headquartered in the Rouge Complex. There are many eras of Ferguson and often confusion arises. When Henry Ford and Harry Ferguson agreed with a handshake to partner up and produce the 9N tractor, it was also agreed that Ford would manufacture the tractor and Ferguson would be the sales/distribution dept. The Sherman Bros. had been partners with Ferguson going back to the Fordson Trcator and the duplex hitch plow so the Ferguson-Sherman team remained until about 1941 then they split and it was just Ferguson. That lasted until 1947 when Henry Ford II took over and outed Ferguson altogether and thus created Dearborn Motors. Dearborn Motors was now the distributor of the new 8N Tractor and all the implements to go with it and they were all painted 8N Vermillion (Red). Ferguson was no longer a Ford employee and filed a lawsuit that lasted years. Ferguson took a set of 9N Blueprints and added his own changes to have his tractor made. He ended up in Coventry, England and first made a TE20, for Tractor England, 20 HP, then later released a TO20 -Tractor Overseas, 20HP for distribution mostly in North America. This was later to be referred to as the 'little gray Fergie". He and Dearborn used many of the same vendors for implements. Conflicts arose over proprietary rights, but many suppliers recognized that FORD was a world reknowned name and would be stronger to do business with so stuck with Ford. In the beginning, Ford produced the 9N tractor at the Rouge Plant in Dearborn MI. FORD also made plows at the Rouge, but all other implements were supplied by outside vendors under contract and Ferguson, being the distributor, would slap a tag on them. All 9N, 2N, TE20, TO20 and later the TE30 and TO30, and ALL Ferguson implements were painted dark gray with maybe a shade of difference between Ford and Ferguson. Ferguson had implements made in England too when he started his TE20 production with English suppliers. So, I like to categorize the Ferguson era as being Part I -with Ford from 1938 until 1947, and then Part II, after 1947 when he produced his TE20 to compete with Ford. I hope this helps answer some of your questions.
Tim Daley(MI)
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