Auction of a 1977 Massey Ferguson 135 by Cheffins Auctioneers - The Eric Elliot Sale

Saturday 14th April saw the auction sale of the Eric Elliott Collection at Widmerpool, Nottinghamshire. A very special collection went under the hammer, consisting of over 40 magnificent tractors to include Field Marshall, Fordson, Marshall, Ferguson Brown and Turner.
A huge crowd had gathered in the wonderful grounds of Eric's property with the tractors neatly lined out and basking in the lovely April sunshine. Come 10.30am the atmosphere was building and many sale goers were eager to see what prices these tractors were going to reach. The one many came to see was of course the super original 1977 Massey Ferguson 135 with only 5 hours on the clock. Arguably the most popular classic tractor, this unique example captured the attention of many enthusiasts with much speculation as to the final figure and when lot 128 came up only the top of the QD cab was visible as the throng engulfed the little red machine. With the telephones loaded and eager bidders on the field an opening bid of £18,000 started proceedings and soon rattled along to £28,500 with help from a telephone bidder. Another bidder took up the chase and after some gasping and quiet mumblings the hammer finally fell at a resounding £34,000! A deserved price for a super example and reaffirms the demand for low houred classics attracting the collectors eye.
With the tone set for the sale the bidding remained very strong with more records falling and other highlights included a Marshall 18-30 at £47,000, a 1951 Marshall MP6 fetched 40,000, a very original Ferguson Brown made an impressive £15,200 and an equally original 1952 Turner 'Yeoman of England' knocked down at £15,250. There was some concerns that the market would be flooded with Field Marshall's as there was so many superb examples on offer, these were however unfounded as a Series 3a made £14,750, a Series 1 sold at £11,750 and a well restored Series 3 took £14,000.
Other top prices went to:
1941 Marshall Model M Contractors - £17,800
Fordson E27N P6 - £10,000
County Super-4 - £16,500
Marshall Model M Contractors - £16,800
1960 International B450 - £12,200
1981 Marshall 802 (1,914hrs) - £7,200
Fordson Standard N ex-RAF - £7,600
Field Marshall Series II Contractors - £13,800
Field Marshall Series 3 - £10,550
Included lots:
Caterpillar D4 - £4,700
Caterpillar D4 - £4,000
An excellent sale with some exceptional prices and accompanied by a massive crowd, which has shown the confidence and enthusiasm has not wavered for these top end vintage tractors. The auction team are now preparing for the forthcoming Cambridge Vintage Sale on Saturday 28th April and boasts a massive entry of over 3,500 lots to include 4 steam engines and over 320 vintage and classic tractors.
For more information please contact the Auction Department on 01223 213 777.

[@davehodges6258]

I used to work for Massey back in the 70s as a sales rep" and i can tell you that No massey ferguson tractor would go out to a customer with just 5hrs on the clock" That clock means nothing,! Some folks just have money to chuck away at 34k" !!!

[@emmetdonnelly2072]

Super low mileage or even hours on old machinery isn't necessarily a good thing. Rubber seals, O rings, plastics and pipes will have perished and become brittle. Oil and fluids will have degraded and run down from all the ports and chambers leaving metal parts dry. A well used engine serviced all its life is the most reliable way to go.

[@hubertrobinson8825]

That's a lot more than it cost new in 1964

[@bhupinderbrar]

The best tractor ever.

[@ryanmaginn9030]

I have 135 with sane cab she's done 11 thousand hours fully restored

[@TeresaJohnson-ew4us]

Pics if tractor and a video of it running ??

[@aala7337]

Crazy money on a 135 ,even with 5 hours on clock,what was that new back in 70s ,couple of thousand new? They were an ok tractor back in those days,much preferred the international harvester,444 was similar size .

[@bhupinderbrar]

444 was not in the same class as the MF 135, Once a neighbor of ours in India had a relative with a 444 visiting them. They decided to disc a 2 acre plot of theirs. They borrowed our discs(7+7) for half an hour to disc the 2 acres at 5 in the evening. We heard them working till about 10:00 pm that night. The next morning the neighbor walked to our place and apologized for the delay in returning the discs and asked me if I could go pick up the discs from their place. To make a long story short, I ended up disking their 2 acres.

[@robertallen3441]

I started work at a Massey dealer in 1974 and a new 135 was about a thousand.

[@robertallen3441]

It was cheap, there was a MF 390T in Saturdays sale that made £68000 + 20% VAT.

[@wallopcock]

How so much

[@EngineerLikesFarming]

I also got two MF's but I would never dare to spend 34.000 pounds on that old iron. 5 hours will not excuse that overpayed price... It is still an old machine...

[@philarmstrong4146]

It's a one off I agree, but £34,000 pounds for a MF 135 come on ??? he must have really wanted that, most likely going back into another private collection.

[@garethroberts9675]

I bet he regretted that when he got home and the auction giddiness worn off

[@Johndonvan861]

Low hours like that mean nothing on a engine that age laying up doing nothing, you could get as good a one for normal money with 5/6k hours on the clock

[@mikeweeks9876]

it only take two

[@Myamericanlife61]

Everyone has there hands in there pockets don’t want a mistake bid here 😀😀😀

[@randymonninger9913]

Love haul silage wagons with tractor mow hay bale all around tractor

[@fionndevlin-kelly3909]

Now in 2021 it was cheap

[@darrenfarrell-bn2cb]

It’s an Industrial MF 20 They look Like 135s but Their not. And They Make Massive Money.

[@aukebij3193]

really?? In the Netherlands you can buy those scrap bins for less than fifteen hundred euros. The English are crazy

[@garethifan1034]

More money than sense

[@stephenboyd9479]

What’s going through those men’s heads standing there.lol.

[@squarewheel6182]

In another 5 or 10 years it will be worth twice that

[@Df36734]

No it won’t

[@MrMusic1950]

This is where all tractors came from, all tractors tried to emulate this capable.all rounder tractor. I personally hate them, but having driven plenty of them, in my later years, I do appreciate why the silly price. I certainly don't have this sorta money ever. A far better equivenelant, IH did some better ones of similar size, also the Ford dexta, a direct copy of the 135, a better all round tractor. So whatever takes your fancy, throw some money at it. I just live tractors 😐😊

[@simonworman7898]

Ok so make it real life,If you had a specialist growing operation, bulbs,experimental crops, seed breeder etc, you might find a use for a £34k for a 45yr old machine but who of the now generation would operate it. Kubota will provide a comfortable vibe free machine for £28k but you might spend another £6k on implemens but for the MF 135 they are still plenty about at cheap prices A 5hr tractor ? Never had one with less from any dealer except MF 365 and that died at 3hrs

[@James_704]

That’s max 8 grand 🤨

[@gavinladd7915]

wouldnt cost that new ffs lol