THE Blue Force Club is throwing an open invitation to all exhibits which cover the club ’ s remit for this year ’ s Newark Vintage Tractor and Heritage Machinery Show .

Fordson , Ford and New Holland tractors and conversions , as well as Ford trucks , will all be welcome , says club

spokesman and magazine editor Jonathan Whitlam .

Normally the club has at least a couple of big themes on its large stand at the show , but following the coronavirus pandemic and the lack of shows for well over a year , it has decided not to specify a particular theme in a bid to encourage as many people as possible to take part .

“ Last year ’ s cancelled show would have seen the Fordson E27N Major celebrate its 75th year ,” says Mr Whitlam . “ This time around marks the 70th anniversary of its replacement , the E1A or ‘ New Major ’ which was introduced back in 1951 .”

The tractor was a radically new type of Fordson that for the first time completely redesigned the concept and was virtually new from the ground up . Its brand new sleek and , back then , very modern styling concealed a superb new type of engine which was available in either petrol , TVO or diesel variants .

The E1A design was a huge success and was gradually improved on over the years with the Diesel Major , Power Major and Super Major versions before finally bowing out in 1964 , says Mr Whitlam .

Other , more recent , celebrations from the Ford stable which are very notable include 50 years since the Ford 7000 model was introduced in 1971 as the first successful , mass-produced turbocharged tractor to be built in Britain .

Forty years ago , Ford launched the Series 10 range from the 44hp 2610 up to the 103hp 7610 and 7710 . These were the first Ford tractors to be equipped with a synchromesh gearbox .

Then , 30 years ago in 1991 , the Series 40 range was launched to replace the four- and six-cylinder Series 10 models ; these being the very last tractor range to be introduced by the Ford Motor Company following the Ford New Holland division being sold to Fiat the same year .

It is also now 25 years since the first proper New Holland tractors were launched back in 1996 . These tractors were the L / 35 and M ’ 60 Series which were sold in either Fiat terracotta or Ford blue .

Despite not specifying a theme , there will nevertheless be several of the aforementioned tractor models in the Blue Force display in the John Eastwood building at the Newark Vintage Tractor & Heritage Show on 13-14 November , as well as in the vintage competition classes .

To book tickets or enter the show competitions , visit www . newarkvintagetractorshow . com .