1954 Ferguson TED20

The  success  of  the earlier Ferguson-Brown  range  of  tractors  led  Ferguson  to  partner  with  Ford  to  produce  tractors  during  the  1940͛s  and  enable  a  higher  volume  of  tractors  to  be  produced. After  World  War  Two  Ferguson  approached the Standard Motor Company of Coventry to produce a new Ferguson tractor, this would be built in one of the wartime ͚shadow factories͛ which had been used to build aero engines and now stood empty. The new model was to be called the TE20, standing for Tractor, England 20 horsepower. Production started in 1946 and continued in various models for a decade before being replaced by newer models.

The Shuttleworth Estate purchased this tractor in 1954. It is a TED20 model with a Standard TVO (tractor vaporising oil) engine. This type of engine needs to be started using petrol and once the engine is warmed it is then switched to the more economical paraffin based TVO. The little grey Fergie was used extensively on the Shuttleworth farm for a number of years but when other, more modern, tractors and implements came along it was put aside to make way for them. It was then used as a training aid by Shuttleworth College and spent the next few decades being dismantled and reassembled by students.

When it became too old for teaching purposes it was taken over by The Collection and was fully restored. It is now used for towing aircraft onto and off the airfield, the largest aircraft it has towed were two Harriers in 1999 when they stayed overnight. It has been modified for use on the airfield and now features a large bench seat on the back to allow ground crew to be transported quickly across the airfield.