TRACTORS

TRACTORS

In January 2003, I was in Munich for work and dined with a friend from the classic car scene. He told me about buying tractors and his enthusiasm for these vehicles. «But otherwise everything is okay with you?» Was the spontaneous question on my part. «How can you …?» I thought to myself. But he told me enthusiastically about his new products and wanted to show me the tractors that evening. Immediately on seeing it, I liked the Porsche tractor – but it stayed with this first encounter and the matter escaped my head.

A few months later, at a lunch in Zurich, an acquaintance told me about his old Porsche tractors. I listened intently and asked what was concerning him. In short; he wanted to part with some of the vehicles, and my interest was piqued. A few weeks later I visited him, inspected his tractors and spontaneously bought two Porsche tractors: a Junior (1-cylinder) and a Super-Export (3-cylinder). Since I had to get organised, we agreed to pick the tractors up in a few weeks.

I was happy to report these acquisitions to my friend in Munich. Two weeks later he visited me because he had also bought a Hürlimann tractor in Switzerland. During his visit to Switzerland, he really wanted to see the Porsche tractors that I had purchased. As a result of this further interaction, I was motivated to buy my third tractor, a Porsche Standard (2-cylinder).

First of all, I had to consider transportation and find the necessary space to house the tractors. I purchased a suitable trailer and drove to Munich to attend a private tractor meeting for the first time. The Porsche tractors are certainly unique in terms of design and cult, but there are better tractors to drive. At private meetings, and during trips, we were able to cover an average of 120 kilometers per day. This is a remarkable achievement in a tractor and you do want it to be comfortable. In this regard, I was very enthusiastic about a particular tractor. It was a Bavarian make of the Eicher brand, type Mammut 2. After a test drive, I knew I should have one. Having announced my interest, the Bavarian tractor enthusiasts immediately looked out for the right model and immediately bought me an Eicher Mammut 2, built in 1962. A wonderful tractor, with which I have made many beautiful trips over the past 15 years.

Along the way, I also owned two Swiss Hürlimann tractors, one of which was a type D 500 (industrial tractor) from 1953, which I had completely restored. However, the vehicle was too big for me and too stressful to drive in today’s traffic.

I leave my tractor collection all together and I always look forward to driving out or looking at one of the tractors. These provide really relaxing moments; the best way to switch off and relax is to drive an old tractor over fields and through forests. That feeling too cannot be described, one just has to experience it.