FORDSON MODEL E27N – c. 1950

According to Peter Henshaw, the E27N “was a great improvement on the elderly Fordson gasoline power unit” as it had a petrol/kerosene power unit. Brought into production during the Great Depression, the tractor was originally produced in the Ford factory in Cork, Ireland. Owing to a number of factors, production was transferred to Ford’s Dagenham factory in Essex, UK.

When Ford decided to make the tractors in the UK (and move tractor construction from Ireland), the initial move by the Dagenham, Essex, plant was to paint this model in the bright blue seen on the Museum’s tractor. Over time the steel lugged rear wheels of this tractor changed to pneumatic tyres (only 70 years ago!) but steel wheels were still an option in Australia. The “E” signified the “English” (Dagenham) built, the “27” signified the horsepower. It was produced from 1945 – 1952.

WA Distributors (1956): State Branch of the Ford Motor Company of Australia Pty Ltd, Stirling Highway, North Fremantle. 

Technical Specifications:   4-cylinder, 4-stroke, side-valve petrol/kerosene engine. Bore 4⅛” Stroke 5”. Output was 29hp at the drawbar and 32.5hp at the belt operating at 1200rpm. Gears: 3 forward and 1 reverse permitting a speed range of 2.5 to 5.29mph with pneumatic tyres. It had a Lucas High Tension magneto and electric starting was an optional extra. Weight was 6000lbs with pneumatic tyres and 4100lbs on steel wheels.

History: The tractor displayed in the Museum was purchased from Colin Chapman who had bought it earlier from a farmer in the Toodyay district. It was in generally good condition except for the magneto that required some replacement parts.

Hugh Manning carried out the inspection and service to ensure the tractor was in working order, even if the paint job had become pretty faded.

Houghton Tractors of Cannington did the sand blasting and painting to restore the tractor to its original colours. This was treated by Houghton Tractors as a donation to the Museum and in return they had the machine on display in front of their Cannington office for two months before returning it to the Museum.