Tractors were initially built in the corner of the David Brown gear factory. The Ferguson-Brown model was the world’ s first production tractor to be equipped with hydraulic lift and converging 3-point linkage.

Approximately 1350 Ferguson-Brown tractors were built before Ferguson and David Brown parted. Ferguson joined Henry Ford and David Brown made tractors of his own design. The first David Brown model was exhibited at the 1939 Royal Show. It was widely acclaimed but before it began production the Second World War broke out and the factory’ s resources were directed towards gear manufacture, for which David Brown was known for.

In 1946 the company switch its Meltham factory back over to the production of tractors. Despite the company’ s late entry into the highly competitive farm tractor industry the David Brown tractors quickly earned a world reputation for quality and inventive design.

In 1955 the company acquired the long established firm of Harrison, McGregor and Guest Ltd., whose range of Albion farm machinery products( notably mowers and binders) had previously earned them high international esteem. By 1971 David Brown company had become Britain’ s third largest farm tractor manufacturer. The company held many awards for their export achievements( four out of every five David Brown tractors sold went overseas).

In 1972 David Brown Tractors Ltd. were acquired by Tenneco Inc., Houston, Texas, and was affiliated to another world famous Tenneco subsidiary, the J I Case Company of Racine, Wisconsin. Under the Tenneco banner, David Brown tractors and Case were very successful.