My 265 was made there ,best quality tractors than the rest, better engines better parts, my tractor still have original engine untouched, never rebuild never,wow amazing tractors from England ❤
Banner Lane Killed Off by the Unions on the shop floor who just wanted to be on strike in the 70`s so the premium tractors started to be built in Beauvais signing the death warrant for Banner Lane there were some absolute stars at the plant but not on the lines building the Tractors.
I just wanted to see the birth place of my MF35X. The old girl rolled off the production line on the 6th May '63. And after making her way half way across the world still performs today. 👍
Why o Y did they demolish all of BannerLane and move to France, If I bled, it was little red Masseys, now ......... I just dunno, totally Griefstricken. from being involved with MHF as a bairn and the first FE35 to the first 165, I still pine for the olden days - oh -so-simple, just add fuel, and create a froth in the field!. Thanks for the Memory - and glad I finally got to take my family there before it was completely closed down.
MF was basically a Canadian company that had factories worldwide. The legacy chassis tractors built at Banner Lane were badly in need of updating by the mid 1980’s but due to a combination of England not having a stable currency [often over-valued] and regular strikes on the shop floor in the 1970’s, the decision was made to make the completely new generation transaxles and assembly in Beauvais, France from 1986 on. This was the start of the death of the Coventry factory and UK influence over Massey Ferguson and it is a miracle that the old range was developed into the 4200 and lastly the 4300 ranges before it closed. The man in the video, I forget his name, ran AGCO/MF in Europe and made the decision to close the factory. What was left of MF at the old training centre at Stoneleigh, Deer Park, renamed to Abbey Park, was all sold off and an office block rented back. Since UK MF no longer has any significant input to MF and zero influence, the staff need not be there at all really and they could simply shut the operation down and no customer or dealer would notice. A sad end to a once great British manufacturing and marketing giant but indicative of the way British industry has been lain to waste by successive Westminster Governments of all Parties.
