Five Grand Ford

1969 FORD 5002 ROW CROP

- Jim Allen

Prior to 1961, Ford’s worldwide agricultural engineering, marketing and production operations were scattered all over the globe. That year, the company began consolidating the operation for greater efficiency. The end result was the “Worldwide Tractor” that debuted for 1965, a single line of tractors to be sold all over. Existing features from existing products were homogenized with new ones. Design input came from all Ford sources and the new lineup debuted with a lot of new technology and a new look. The British arm of Ford Tractor Operations was the farthest ahead in many ways and took the overall lead.

Ford tractor production coalesced in four places. Birmingham, England, produced many of the bigger tractors, with a U.S. factory in Highland Park, Michigan, building the higher-horsepower units destined for the American market. A new plant in Basildon, England, built the smaller tractors and a plant in Antwerp, Belgium, built many tractors for the Euro market. These tractors have become known as the “Thousand Series,” comprising the 2000 (3-cyl, 32 hp), 3000 (3-cyl, 39 hp), 4000 (3-cyl, 47 hp), 5000 (4-cyl, 56 hp) and 6000 (6-cyl, 67 hp). The 1965-75 Thousand Series would evolve greatly in that decade, as would Ford Tractor Operations until it was finally sold to Fiat in 1991. The Ford line would eventually become the New Holland brand.