Whether it is a reaction to the impersonal complexities of modern machinery or a desire to reflect on olden times, the vintage scene is still very much alive and even growing in strength.
In Co. Cork this has manifested itself in the form of a new vintage club that will cater for not just tractors but also classic motorbikes and cars built 30 years or more ago,
The group has called itself the North Cork Vintage Club and it held an inaugural tractor run on Bank Holiday Sunday at Buttevant, Co. Cork.
The club chairman is Declan Reiley who, with a group of like-minded enthusiasts, formed the club in December of last year and this first event was focused on raising funds for its coffers.
Not only did it raise some money for the organisation but also swelled its membership with around 50 people having joined up before and during the event.
There was a similar number of tractors on the run itself which had Buttevant as its start point before taking a 26-mile-long course through the country to the west of the village.
Vintage and classic tractors
Fords tended to dominate the run with a fair mix of others including a David Brown Cropmaster.
This was a model which was introduced in 1949 and reflected the company’s belief that Harry Ferguson’s TE 20 was too small at 26hp as opposed to the Crop Masters 34hp. As it turned out both were right in their own way.
Keeping things simple and maintenance-free was one of the great benefits of air-cooled engines and German manufacturers pursued the type up until emissions standards made them obsolete in the the mid-1990s.
Deutz Fahr was perhaps the best known manufacturer of the air-cooled engine and its DX range enjoyed huge success up until 1995 when they were phased out.
On the vintage run was a 75hp DX3.90 which epitomised the lightweight and compact nature of these models which represent the zenith of air-cooled tractors.
John Deere stalwart
One of best presented machines was a John Deere 2020 built on May 4, 1972. It is possible to be so exact about this because the date is stamped on the original rear wheel centres.
The date also points to this example being one of the last of the series as production ended that same year.
As standard, it produced 60hp which was then boosted to 68hp with the fitting of a turbo and the name changing to 2120.
For the club’s first event, the run was a great success for the new vintage club and with the enthusiasm shown for vehicles of all types, there should be many more runs and rallies to follow.