Versatile tractors are going retro.
The machines were yellow and red when the first D100 came out in 1966, but that design was replaced by a black, red and yellow motif in 1978 and then by a Ford blue colour scheme in 1989 when New Holland bought the company.
Red returned in 2000 when Buhler took over, but yellow and black were gone.
However, the big tractors get their traditional colours back this year if farmers order them that way, including the new Delta Track. A few of the retro-look machines will be available for sale in January for delivery in July.
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Above is a sneak peek at the first ones coming off the line in Winnipeg.
The history of versatile
- 1966 – company founded; D100 articulated tractor released
- 1969-78 – Company releases several key models, including Model 125 with cab; Series One 850 and 900; Big Roy eight-wheel drive, 600 h.p. prototype; bi-directional Model 150; Model 875; black added to colour scheme
- 1981 – Model 1150, 475 h.p.
- 1989 – New Holland/Ford acquire Versatile, and machinery turns blue
- 2000 – Buhler acquires Versatile, returns to red
- 2007 – Rostselmash buys Versatile
- 2014 – Delta Track, an articulated tracked tractor, released
- 2016 – 50 year anniversary
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