Henry Ford’s first successful tractor was what we now know as the Fordson Model F, and while there was nothing particularly revolutionary about these tractors, they were popular in both the U.S. and Britain. The success of these little tractors, in Britain at least, was partialy due to the fact that they were affordable. This was made possible because they were mass-produced.
Despite the success of the Fordson tractor, Henry Ford moved away from the tractor market in the U.S., but production of Fordson tractors continued in Britain. The Fordson name continued to grow and thrive, and other models followed, all of which went on to become firm favourites with British farmers. Today, Fordson tractors are much-loved collectibles, and the various different models spanning many decades are seen in shows and ploughing competitions throughout the U.K.

In Britain, the Fordson Model N replaced the Fordson F in 1929. The Model N sold in huge numbers, and for many farmers (my grandfather included), it was the tractor that replaced the working horses on the farm. Many people “of a certain age” remember the Model N as the first tractor they ever drove. The Model N was also the most popular tractor during the WWII period, and it is often thought of as the tractor that kept Britian fed during very hard times. The hard-working model N had a long production run, and a replacement model wasn’t produced until 1945 when Fordson introduced its E27N tractor. At the time, the E27N was known as the Fordson Major, but when, in 1951, Fordson brought out its “New Major” model, it became easier to refer to the previous “Major” as the E27N to avoid confusion.

The Fordson E27N tractor was produced at a time when Britain was facing crippling austerity as a result of the Second World War. Wartime shortages not only ruled our everyday domestic lives, but they also ruled our industry, making it very difficult to manufacture anything, because materials were directed at the war effort, and were therefore in short supply. During WWII, Ford’s British workforce focused on essential wartime work, building and assembling Rolls Royce Merlin aeroplane engines under license for the Royal Air Force, so any plans that the company had for producing a brand new tractor had to be put on the back burner until nearer the end of the war.
Hard Times
Britain had been close to starvation during WWII. Imported food failed to arrive on the shores because of the dangers posed by German submarines and the workforce was massively depleted. The little Fordson model N, which was the most popular tractor of the period, worked day and night ploughing land that had never been ploughed before, as part of a massive government scheme to grow grain and potatoes to help to keep the Britons fed.

While the Model N had been hugely successful, by 1945 it was a small and old-fashioned tractor, existing in a world that desperately needed to maximize productivity. Ford executives really needed to come up with a new tractor, but their hands were tied. They had limited resources and not a lot of time…so they did their best and came up with the E27N, which appeared to be little more than a slightly bigger Model N. Anyone who was hoping for a whole new tractor with a whole new look and a massive increase in power was going to be disappointed because the E27N was more evolutionary than revolutionary. Ford’s new tractor relied so heavily on the previous Model N that it looked almost identical in shape.
In retrospect, this tractor is now seen as something of a stepping stone between the Model N and the New Fordson Major E1A which was unveiled at the Smithfield Show in December 1951. Some people call the Fordson E27N a “stopgap” tractor — because Ford had to give the people something new, but they didn’t have a lot of resources, so they did the best they could in the circumstances.
Criticisms
Critics of the Fordson E27N claim it’s an underpowered and archaic-looking tractor, lacking in gears and dangerously top-heavy if used on slopes. If you want to look at this tractor in a negative light, then it could be said that what Ford had done was take its existing little model N and put it onto a larger set of wheels, which made for a rather gutless tractor with big gaps between the gears.
Perhaps these criticisms are a bit harsh. Although it wasn’t revolutionary, the E27N was a durable and successful tractor, and it did have some improvements on the Model N. For instance, Ford had improved the rear end of the tractor by replacing the old worm gear with a reduction final drive.

However, the E27N did feature the same old petrol TVO four-cylinder side-valve engine as was fitted in the Model N. The tractor also still had the same splash feed lubrication system and the same three-speed gearbox as the earlier model N.
The E27N was dark blue with orange wheels. Initially, the tractor came out on steel wheels, again because of wartime shortages, but rubber tires were soon
introduced. Small upgrades were added along the way, such as three-point linkage, independent brakes and electric start.
It is said the earlier examples had wheels painted in the same orange as the pre-war model N tractors, and, after about a year, the color changed to a brighter shade. Who knows if the colour change occurred because Ford had run out of that shade of paint? Or was it because the company wanted to make its tractor seem a little
more exciting?

The one thing that actually made the E27N more exciting and more desirable was the option of a Perkins P6 diesel engine, which became available in 1947 and offered a whopping 45hp. This was a massive increase in power from the 27hp the earlier four-cylinder side-valve engine had supplied. The P6 engine was a factory option, but some standard E27N tractors were retrofitted with these engines by dealers and owners. In 1949, the exhaust manifold of the E27N was altered, and a much more efficient vaporizer was added. This made the tractor more reliable when it came to starting, as well as more fuel efficient.
Perkins saves the day
Perkins engines are well respected worldwide, and 2022 marked 90 years of the Perkins Engines Co. Ltd. During that time, 22 million diesel engines rolled off Perkins’ production lines.
This successful company began with just two men in a small office in Peterborough, England, in 1932. Both Frank Perkins and Charles Chapman, had grand ideas — they hoped to convince the expanding motor industry to accept diesel engines. However diesel engines of the time were large, clunky and slow, so the pair had their work cut out for them. As it happened though, Charles Chapman was a brilliant engineer, and he worked tirelessly behind the scenes to create a higher-speed diesel engine, while Frank Perkins, an extremely enterprising salesman, threw all of his energy into marketing the concept of a fast, reliable and economical diesel engine. The two men perfectly complemented one another. Charles was happy to remain in the workshop, while the more outgoing Frank took on the marketing role.

Initially, the Perkins engines were fitted into commercial vehicles, but before long, the company found its way into the agricultural sector and went on to become the global success story it is today. Just as the addition of the Perkins engine saved the reputation of the Fordson E27N, it also saved the reputation of the Massey Ferguson 35, because the 35 was initially supplied with a four-cylinder standard engine plagued with starting issues. When this engine was replaced with the Perkins A3.152 engine, the MF 35 became a resounding success. It even went on to become one of our nation’s most popular tractors. Collectible tractors with Perkins engines are highly sought after today, and the Perkins-powered E27N is no exception.
Collectible Vintage
In collectible terms, the earlier Fordson model N often overshadows the Fordson E27N simply because people have fond memories of the wartime tractors. For many older collectors, the Model N was the tractor that they recall learning to drive on, and the tractor that was on just about every farm when they were growing up.

However, the less popular E27N is also a good tractor for the collector, because it is still a relatively affordable antique. So, for anyone wanting a simple tractor devoid of all the modern conveniences, such as clocks and cabs, it is a really good buy. Of course, those models fitted with a Perkins engine are much more desirable. But really, most collectors have no real need for all that extra horsepower. If all you’re doing is taking your tractor to shows, it really doesn’t matter if it is a 27hp tractor or a 45hp tractor. But, at the end of the day, power is a great aphrodisiac, so the Perkins engine models always sell better.
There were a few different versions of the E27N. The earliest examples had steel wheels and were powered by petrol and paraffin. Then there is the diesel Perkins version, and there was also an Industrial version, which came with lights and an electric starter, wheel weights, a heavy-duty braking system, a rear towing attachment, plus a heavier clutch plate and thrust bearing. The air cleaner gauze was finer on the industrial versions, and the tractor was fitted with a speedometer that captured both distance and speed, and of course, the “highway” industrial rear tires.

Ford did not build tricycle (row crop) versions, but a company called Bettison did offer a conversion kit that fitted the tractor with a single front wheel. Various companies like County and Roadless converted E27N tractors into tracked and half-tracked machines. A company called Chaseside used the E27N as the basis for a loading shovel. So, there are plenty of interesting options out there for the collector of the E27N tractor.

While it’s true that the Fordson E27N was a rather basic and outdated-looking tractor, despite this, it went on to become a successful and much-loved machine. The success of the E27N was helped by the fact that people had a soft spot for the earlier iconic model N tractor, which had largely kept Britain’s farms running through WWII. Because the Model N had been so popular, British farmers rightfully thought of Fordson tractors as being reliable, durable and affordable. They therefore bought the E27N, even though there was nothing revolutionary about it.
It’s easy to dismiss the E27N as a “stopgap tractor,” but the fact that Ford was able to pull a tractor out of the bag while WWII was still not quite over was really quite remarkable. The E27N has an important place in British history in that its simplicity, and the economy with which it was designed, reflect the hard times that we on this little island endured in the years during and following WWII.
Josephine Roberts lives on an old-fashioned smallholding in Snowdonia, North Wales, and has a passion for all things vintage. Email her at josiewales2021@aol.com