Henry Ford’s and Harry Ferguson’s collaboration had begun in 1939, when production of the 9N model equipped with the Ferguson three-point hitch system started in the USA. In 1947 their partnership broke down after Henry Ford II, who had been appointed head of the Ford empire, discovered that the company was losing money on every tractor. In the summer of 1947 Ford introduced the new 8N and 8NAN models, featuring a slightly revised lifting mechanism. Compared with earlier models, the 8N had increased engine power and a four-speed gearbox. The power take-off could be stopped by using the clutch. The 8N was gasoline-powered, and the version more common in Northern Europe, the 8NAN, ran on petrol. With its red chassis, the tractor looked fresher than the old grey ones. As a result of Ferguson’s lawsuits, the court ordered Ford to cease production of the 8N and 8NAN tractors at the end of 1952. In their best years, annual output of these models had exceeded 100,000 tractors.

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