1959 Porsche Diesel Junior Tractor
Registration no. Not registered
Chassis no. K7998C

Dr Ferdinand Porsche's design consultancy built a handful of prototype tractors prior to WW2, the first of which were powered by petrol engines, before turning to diesel power, eventually developing a series of one-, two-, three- and four-cylinder air-cooled engines ranging in output from 14 to 55bhp. An unusual feature of Porsche's tractor system (fitted to all models right up to the end of production) was its hydraulic coupling between engine and gearbox, which permitted smooth clutch-less gear changes and thus reduced wear on the transmission components.
After the war's end Porsche was barred from producing its own tractors (only companies that had been making tractors prior to and during the war were permitted to do so) and thus was forced to license its designs to other manufacturers. In 1954 Mannesmann AG diversified into tractor manufacture by acquiring the rights to Porsche's engine and Allgaier GmbH's tractor design, setting up Porsche-Diesel Motorenbau GmbH. In 1956 Mannesmann built a new manufacturing facility at the old Zeppelin factory in Friedrichshafen-Manzell where Porsche tractors continued to be built until production ceased. Over 125,000 tractors were manufactured between 1956 and 1963, many of which were exported, Porsche's agricultural products gaining the same reputation for sound engineering and superb build quality as their road-car relatives.
Manufactured from 1952 to 1963, the Porsche-Diesel Junior tractor was powered by an 822cc air-cooled, single-cylinder diesel engine producing 14bhp. This example spent all its working life in Ireland. Beautifully restored to a high standard, it is described by the vendor as in excellent condition throughout, running and driving.