A 40-YEAR-OLD County tractor has sold for a record £214,400 price tag – ensuring there’s no end in sight for the vintage machinery boom. 

The 1982 County 1474 ‘Short Nose’ tractor was the highlight of the first Cheffins sale of 2022, which saw more than £2 million splashed on classic vehicles and collectors’ items. 

Having been fully restored, the tractor saw significant presale interest and smashed its presale estimate of £120,000–140,000. 

Other significant sales in the tractor section included £73,000 for a 2004 JCB 2140, against an estimate of £60,000-65,000; £48,240 for a 1983 Mercedes-Benz MB-Trac 1500, well over its presale estimate, and £42,880 for a stunning 1974 County 1164.

Oliver Godfrey, head of the Machinery Department at Cheffins, said: “We knew the April sale was going to be a record-breaker, with a strong catalogue of varied items. However, to sell over £2 m worth is bonkers. 

“The market is alive and well; in fact it is thriving, as collectors still have cash in the bank which they want to invest in something tangible; something they can see and use and enjoy. 

“Collectors are becoming younger, so the focus in the market is really on tractors and machinery from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s as they look to buy up a part of their youth. It is impossible to put a price on the value of nostalgia.

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"Many buyers are also looking for tractors which they believe will become the next collector’s piece and an investment which will pay dividends. It appears that at the moment, the market’s bets are mainly focused on Ford variants, such as County and Roadless, which are seeing double digit price growth year on year.”

The next collective sale will take place on Saturday, July 23, at Cheffins Machinery Sale Ground, Sutton, Ely, CB6 2QT. 

For more information, visit www.cheffins.co.uk, or call Cheffins auctioneers on 01353 777767.