LAST SCREAM OF THE JIMMY

In 1954, when Oliver needed a powerful diesel to one-up their competitors, they went to General Motors.

- JIM ALLEN

The Detroit Diesel Division built some of the most lightweight and compact, yet very powerful, diesels on the market at the time and more than a few tractor manufacturers went that route in the years between 1950 and 1970. The 1954 Super 99 GM was powered by a General Motors 3-71 and made 80 horsepower on the PTO. That was BIG power for ‘54. The Super 99 GM lasted through 1958 as a step above the 65 PTO horsepower Super 99 Diesel powered by the familiar Waukesha-built, Lanova cell six-cylinder.

GM power continued through the evolution of the Oliver tractor line in the ‘50s as the high-power alternative over the Waukesha engines. The ‘59-61 990 and 995 GM both were Jimmy-powered, again with the 3-71. Power was up a little and those tractors were restyled and improved but the big news came for 1960, when the 1900 debuted. It featured many improvements, not the least of which was the update to the recently introduced 4-53 four-cylinder Jimmy. It was almost exactly the same displacement as the 3-71 (213 ci vs 212), having more, but smaller displacement cylinders.