The 1909 Ivel that sold here for £328,000 is still the highest price paid for a vintage tractor at a UK auction, and the same catalogue will carry unrestored machines waiting for a winter in the workshop.

Most change hands at the Cambridge Vintage Sale, the collective auction held three times a year at Sutton, near Ely, with a fourth sale up at Harrogate. April is the big one, often 300 or more vintage and classic tractors in a single catalogue, with strong entries again through July and October. Buyers travel in from across the UK and Ireland, and plenty more bid from further afield.

The marques are the ones any enthusiast will know: Fordson and Ford, Ferguson and Massey Ferguson, David Brown, Nuffield, County, Roadless, International Harvester and John Deere among them. Condition runs from fully restored show tractors to honest working examples and unrestored projects, spanning the early 1900s right through to the modern classics of the 1980s and early 2000s, which are in real demand now. There are usually spares and parts in the sale too, worth a look if you're keeping an older machine on the road.

Buying a vintage tractor

Each catalogue goes online ahead of the sale with descriptions and photographs, and you can bid in the room, by phone or online. With vintage, originality is half the value, so view in person where you can, look closely at what's been restored and what's still original, and check what's included and how collection works before you bid.

Selling a vintage tractor or collection

A single tractor or a small group fits straight into the Cambridge Vintage Sale, in front of collectors across the UK, Ireland and overseas. A whole collection is often better sold on its own ground, and Cheffins runs on-site vintage tractor dispersals the length of the country and across Northern Ireland, cataloguing, photographing and marketing the sale and bringing the bidding to a national and international audience.

Pre-sale appraisals are free, with formal written valuations arranged separately. Oliver Godfrey MRICS, Director, Head of the Machinery Division,  Tom Godsmark ANAVA, Director and Ted Shepherd, Associate, look after the vintage tractor side and can talk through the right route, whether it's one tractor or a lifetime's collection.

Why Cheffins for vintage tractors?

Cheffins has run machinery sales since 1941, and the Cambridge Vintage Sale is one of the best-known vintage tractor sales in the country. It reaches around 30,000 registered bidders in more than 50 countries, which is why a good tractor with the right history tends to find its level here, whoever ends up bidding.

Vintage tractor FAQs

Where can I buy vintage tractors in the UK?
Cheffins sells vintage tractors through the Cambridge Vintage Sale, held three times a year at Sutton, near Ely, with a fourth sale at Harrogate. You can bid in the room, by phone or online, and registration is free.

How do I sell a vintage tractor collection at auction?
A single tractor suits the Cambridge Vintage Sale, while a full collection is often best sold on-site at its own location. Cheffins handles valuation, cataloguing, photography and marketing. Directors Oliver Godfrey and Tom Godsmark, with associate Ted Shepherd, can advise on the right route

What vintage tractor brands does Cheffins sell?
Regular marques include Fordson, Ford, Ferguson, Massey Ferguson, David Brown, Nuffield, County, Roadless, International Harvester and John Deere, in everything from restored show tractors to unrestored projects.

Does Cheffins run on-site vintage tractor sales?
Yes. Cheffins runs on-site vintage tractor dispersals across the UK and Northern Ireland, which suit a full collection sold from its own location rather than entered into the Cambridge sale.

What is the buyer's premium on vintage tractors?
The premium on vintage and classic tractor lots is 6% plus VAT. 

Related sections

Modern Tractors · Vintage & Classic Auctions · Classic Cars · Steam Engine Exchange · Cambridge Machinery Sales · On-site Auctions · Machinery & Vintage Auctions

Ready to buy or sell vintage tractors?

Browse the next Cambridge Vintage Sale, or call the vintage team on 01353 777767 (option 2) or email [email protected] to talk through selling a single tractor or a full collection.