Milestone reached as the UK facility celebrates six decades of manufacturing; One million tractors made since first million marked in 1989; striking ‘candy blue’ livery for special edition T7.225 tractor.
19 Jul 2024 | 2803 Views | By Autocar Professional Bureau
In the same year it celebrates 60 years of tractor production, the New Holland plant at Basildon, England, is now marking the manufacturing of its two millionth tractor, a feat managed by only a handful of such facilities across the world.
The two millionth unit is a 225hp T7.225, ...
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In the same year it celebrates 60 years of tractor production, the New Holland plant at Basildon, England, is now marking the manufacturing of its two millionth tractor, a feat managed by only a handful of such facilities across the world.
The two millionth unit is a 225hp T7.225, one of the most popular T7 models produced at the Basildon plant. It has received a striking celebration livery comprising ‘candy blue’ body panels, New Holland silver and black graphics featuring the Union Jack flag of the United Kingdom, and a ‘2,000,000 Basildon Tractors’ logo, plus a New Holland leaf bonnet top. The tractor also features black wheels rims with candy blue rim edges.
“This is a major milestone in the life of our Basildon plant, and a mark of both the dedication of our skilled employees here and the loyalty of our customers worldwide, to whom we are extremely grateful,” said Carlo Lambro, New Holland Brand President.
“From the tractors of 1964 to those of today, we have come a long way in capability, capacity and technology, allowing our customers to farm more efficiently. What is unchanged, though, is our commitment at Basildon and across the whole of our business to continue developing the technology our customers need to sustainably power their farms into the future.”
The two millionth tractor will make special appearances during forthcoming events in the UK, and will then be displayed in the Customer Centre at Basildon.
Significant milestones over six decades
The Basildon factory opening in 1964 coincided with the introduction of the new 37-65hp Ford 6X tractor series which was to be made there, meaning the first of the two million tractors were 2000 Dexta, 3000 Super Dexta, 4000 Major and 5000 Super Major models.
Within two years the plant had produced 100,000 of these tractors, and these models later became known generally as the ‘Pre-Force’ series, following the 1968 launch of the ‘Ford Force’ 2/3/4/5000 tractors, which saw the long-serving names retired. Just a year later, the factory produced its 250,000th tractor.
In 1984, the 500,000th tractor was made, from the Q-cabbed Series 10 range launched three years previously, which ultimately spanned 44hp 2610 to 116hp 8210 models, introducing developments such as the SynchroShift synchromesh transmission.
Five years later, coinciding with the 1989 launch of the Generation III evolution of the Series 10 range, Basildon produced its one millionth tractor. The year also marked 25 years of manufacturing at the plant, celebrated with the release of a number of special edition Silver Jubilee 7810 tractors.
In 1995, the factory produced its 1,500,000th tractor, a Series 40 model, four years after it came under new ownership following the purchase of the Ford New Holland agricultural equipment business by Fiat, creating today’s New Holland brand.
In July 2024, the 2 millionth tractor rolled out of the production line, marking a memorable milestone for the plant in Basildon and for the New Holland brand, globally.
Today, the plant’s production continues to be exported across the world and has grown to include the latest models powered by alternative fuels such as methane and compressed natural gas. These are products of a recent development at the facility, the Alternative Fuels Centre of Excellence, a specialised R&D department focused on alternative propulsions.