1959 Porsche Junior Diesel Tractor

Description

To most car enthusiasts the name Porsche is synonymous with high performance sports cars but Professor Ferdinand Porsche also designed a series of tractors, with the original plans dating back before the Second World War. The first model, dubbed the Type AP17, debuted at the 40^th Germany Agricultural Show held in Frankfurt in 1950 and was notable for its innovative lightweight construction, air-cooled engine (via a fan), hydraulic clutch and centrifugal oil filter. Production took place in new factory in Manzell, a suburb of Friedrichshafen in southern Germany and within a few years the model range expanded to include single, twin, triple and four-cylinder variants – all with a common bore and stroke of 92 mm by 116 mm. The track width was adjustable, allowing for a very small turning circle, while a special gear enabled the operator to drive at just 700 metres an hour. The special hydraulic clutch also made it impossible to stall the engine, with the motor declutched when the brakes were applied. By the late 1950s, the range consisted of the Junior, Standard and Super and the diesel engines were largely standardised to keep production costs down. The Junior 108 was the smallest Porsche tractor available, with a single-cylinder engine developing just 14 horsepower. Most Porsche tractors have long since disappeared after tough working lives on farms across Europe, with surviving examples taking on collectable status thanks to the badge and have proven popular with Porsche collectors around the world looking for something a little out of the ordinary.