Simon Cars - David Brown Tractor

David Brown (Aston Martin)

By 1873 David Brown was a specialist in gear systems and expert at machine cut gears, the company moved to Huddersfield in 1902. David Brown, grandson of the founder David Brown, became managing director of a much enlarged company in 1931 which had interests in America and Australia. Teaming up with Harry Ferguson in 1936, the Ferguson-Brown tractor. Ferguson's partnership with Fordson tractors soured the arrangement with David Brown who then launched their own tractor in 1939 that was adapted for use with the Royal Airforce during World war Two. David Brown bought Aston Martin in 1947, Lagonda in 1948 and Tickford in 1955. David Brown tractors sold out J.I. Case in 1972, the David Brown family sold its stake in the business in 1990. David Brown still manufactures heavy transmissions.

David Brown 25 1955 - badge on bonnet. David Brown considered that 'David Brown' looked better than 'Cropmaster' or a similar name

David Brown 880 1961 Tractor - badge on nose. The badge shows the white rose of Yorkshire, where David Brown was based at Meltham, Huddersfield, and the red rose of Lancashire for Harrison, McGregor & Guest Ltd who were based in Lancashire and bought out by David Brown.

David Brown Cropmaster 1950. The Cropmaster was an evolution of the the 1939 VAK1 Tractor, the first such vehicle for David Brown. The VAK1C Cropmaster was sold from 1947 to 1954. At the same time David Brown branched out into car manufacture, purchasing both Aston Martin and Lagonda in 1947.

David Brown Cropmaster 1950

David Brown Cropmaster 1951 Diesel. The Cropmaster had been introduced in 1947, although it had evolved as the VAK1 in 1939, the VAK1A in 1945, and finally the VAK1C. A 4-cylinder diesel option (VAD1C) was added in 1949, using a 2.5-litre engine with parts common to the 2.5-litre petrol engine

David Brown Taskmaster 1956. Essentially a Cropmaster adapted for towing on airfields etc.

David Brown 25 1955. The 25 (and 30) were launched in 1953 to replace the Cropmaster and to compete against cheaper competition. There were 3 versions of the 2.5-litre 25 hp engine, designed to run on diesel, kerosene or petrol

David Brown VIG-1 1943, weighing 4-tonnes they were powered by David Brown's own 2523cc 4-cylinder petrol engine, but later versions had diesels.

David Brown 880 1961 Tractor. Introduced in 1961 with a 4-cylinder 2.7-litre diesel engine and then from 1964 to 1971 a 2.7-litre 3-cylinder diesel. Built at Meltham in Yorkshire

David Brown 770 1966 Selectamatic. Produced at Meltham from 1965 to 1970, powered by a 3-cylinder 32bhp diesel engine

David Brown 996. Produced from 1971 to 1980 at Huddersfield, and powered by a 3,592cc diesel engine.

David Brown 885 1972 Selectamatic. The 'Selectamatic' was a hydraulic valve system that made it easy to operate changing rates for using various implements

David Brown 885 1974. Produced at Meltham from 1971 to 1980, from 1973 these were sold as 'Case 885' after Tenneco bought out David Brown Tractors and merged them with their own J.I. Case. Powered by a 4-cylinder engine.

Ferguson-Brown Model A. Designed by Harry Ferguson with his patented 3 point hydraulic linkage for implements. This was produced at Huddersfield by David Brown from 1936-38 until disagreement. Power came from a Coventry-Climax Type E engine, or later a David Brown 2,010cc 4-cylinder petrol

Aston Martin Cars

Aston Martin DB2 1953 Coupe, powered by 2,580cc 6-cylinder dohc engine. David Brown produced the Aston Martin DB2 cars at Feltham from 1950 to 1953

Tractors Index British Commercials Simon Cars