Fordson Super Dexta (New Performance)

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The first Fordson Dexta tractors appeared in 1957 to compete head-on with the Massey Ferguson 35 which had been launched the year before to replace the much-loved ‘Little Grey Fergie’ TE20 in the small tractor market.

Sporting blue and orange paintwork which stood out clearly against the landscape, it was produced at Ford’s Dagenham factory and was powered by a 35hp 3-cylinder diesel engine developed jointly by Ford and Perkins.

(It is commonly assumed that this was simply the P3 engine recently launched by Perkins, but in fact the P3 fell short of Ford’s expectations and it was substantially modified for use in the Dexta being given the designation P3.144. All the major castings were made at Dagenham then taken by a stream of lorries up the A1 to the Perkins factory in Peterborough for final assembly, the lorries dropping off their unfinished engines then heading back to Dagenham with a fresh load of completed units. Almost 220,000 Dexta engines were to make this 180-mile round trip between August 1957 and October 1964.)

Following a restyle in 1960 which saw the headlights incorporated into the grille, in 1962 a more powerful 39hp Super Dexta was launched, still in the blue/orange livery, before the final 45hp New Performance version made its debut in June 1963, easily distinguished by new blue/grey livery and only made until September 1964 when Dexta, and indeed Fordson production came to an end, all subsequent models being given a Ford badge.

First registered in Cumberland in June 1964, this Super Dexta New Performance was fully restored by the vendor about five years ago before being safely tucked away as part of a private collection. Looking mighty fine in the correct Empire Blue body with grey mudguards, wheels and front grilles, it is fitted with the correct diff lock, hi and low range gearbox giving 6 forward and 2 reverse speeds, weighs about 1.56 tons and has around 5,000 hours on the clock.

The engine was fully rebuilt with new pistons and a reground crank and a host of other new parts fitted including: the starter motor; exhaust; radiator; brake shoes; hydraulic pump; side panels; tool box; folding seat and cushions etc. Recently serviced and recommissioned for sale with fresh oils throughout, we are told that it “starts first time, every time”, never needs the cold start and does not smoke or clatter.

All the hydraulics function as they should, as do all the lights, gauges, tachograph, horn, even the light inside the clock. Riding on a set of brand new tyres (which cost £800 alone), this is an excellent and highly correct tractor ready for immediate work or play.

Coming to the sale from what was once a substantial private collection, this is one of the last tractors that the owner could bear to part with, the others having been gradually sold off in recent years. Only reluctantly for sale due to the advancing years of the vendor, it will be sorely missed by him and now needs a new custodian who will derive as much pleasure from owning it as he has these last many years.