World's Oldest John Deere Tractor Goes Up for Sale Online on eBay Motors Beginning September 14
13 September 2000
World's Oldest John Deere Tractor Goes Up for Sale Online on eBay Motors Beginning September 14
Historic Vehicle Considered 'Holy Grail of Tractors'
SAN JOSE, Calif. and AUBURN, Ind., Sept. 13 Kruse International, one of the world's leading collector car auction
companies, is preparing to make history as it auctions off the world's oldest
John Deere tractor on eBay Motors (http://www.ebaymotors.com) beginning September 14.
eBay Motors is the Internet's largest auction-style marketplace for buying and
selling all things automotive.
The 1918 tractor is believed to be the oldest complete all-wheel drive,
4-cylinder John Deere to have survived intact. Completely restored, it was
loaned to the Smithsonian Museum for one year, becoming the first privately
owned object to be exhibited in its Department of Agriculture and Forest
Products.
"Deere & Company is widely recognized as an American icon," said
Dean Kruse, co-founder of Kruse International. "This is considered by many to
be the 'Holy Grail of Tractors' and an important part of our country's rich
agricultural history."
"By selling the tractor through Kruse International and eBay Motors, it
will be possible to reach people from all over the country," said current
owner Frank Hansen, "and give everyone the chance to bid on a piece of
history."
Hansen stumbled upon the tractor in 1948 while on a fishing vacation. He
was intrigued to discover the manufacturer was John Deere and spent the next
13 years uncovering more information about the vehicle's past, before he
bought it himself in 1960. Over the next forty years, Hansen toured the
tractor across the country, lecturing at fairs and special events on its
illustrious history.
For this sale, interested bidders will be asked to make an initial deposit
through Escrow.com to secure their offers. Escrow.com(TM) will provide its
online escrow managed transaction technology to ensure that the original
John Deere tractor is traded safely and securely on eBay Motors. For more
information, please visit http://www.escrow.com.
The History of the 1918 John Deere Tractor
Frank Hansen of Rollingstone, Minnesota first stumbled upon the relic in
1948 in a farmer's lot while on a fishing vacation. Intrigued by the uncommon
design, Hansen was surprised to discover the tractor was the product of the
John Deere company.
"It was widely known and promoted that John Deere didn't make a 4-cylinder
model," explains Hansen. "The company's first tractor was always thought to
be the 2-cylinder Model D manufactured in 1923."
Fishing trip forgotten, Hansen spent the afternoon unearthing more details
about the tractor. Little did he know the discovery would change his life.
Determined to uncover more information, Hansen spent 13 years diligently
tracing the origin of the tractor that history didn't even know existed. The
trail eventually led him to East Moline, IL, where, between 1914 and 1919, the
earliest John Deere tractors had been designed and manufactured. During those
five years, approximately 200 of the 4-cylinder machines had been sold in
Minnesota and the Dakotas.
Though Hansen now had hard facts to back up his story, the John Deere
company did not acknowledge the 4-wheel drive tractor's origin and continued
to promote its 1923 model as the first from the legendary manufacturer. Armed
with the operator's handbook, parts manual, sales bulletin and additional
documentation, Hansen finally sued John Deere over the tractor's authenticity
and won the case.
In 1960, Hansen returned to the farm where he first found the vehicle and
was amazed to find it in the same location. Although the farmer had purchased
the old relic as junk for $5.00, he sold it to Hansen for $1,000.
Over the next forty years, Hansen toured the tractor across the country,
lecturing at fairs and special events on its illustrious history.
"Any time this tractor appeared at a fair or festival, everyone came out
to see it and watch me fire the engine," noted Hansen. "It has been rewarding
to meet and talk to so many people over the years. While I don't know where
the tractor will go once it's sold or what its future will be, I'm glad I was
able to help put history right."