Description
Kelham Hall | Newark, Nottinghamshire Viewing: Tues 22nd September 2026 from 12pm Auction: Weds 23rd September 2026 12pm Location: Kelham Hall Main Street, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG23 5QX Registration No: Un-Registered Chassis No: 721 MOT: Exempt Understood to have been supplied new by Ferguson agents Joshua White Ltd. Entered from the Ronald White collection Showing a nice level of patination Fascinated by mechanical engineering but born into a farming family, Harry Ferguson was driven from an early age to explore mechanical improvements for agriculture, and during the Great War he started to demonstrate new-fangled American tractors in front of his farming neighbours in Ireland. Ferguson started to design items such as ploughs and hitches himself, and he unveiled a new three-point hitch with hydraulically controlled linkages in 1928, but was frustrated that the popular Fordson Model F wasn’t best suited to it, so he started to work on his own tractor, of smaller and lighter construction but otherwise similar to the Model F. It represented certain improvements, but he was unable to find a manufacturer who would put his designs into production, forcing him to manufacture it in his own name. Thus the ‘first grey Fergie’, the Type A, entered production in 1936, the work subcontracted to David Brown. The 1936 models had a 20hp Coventry Climax engine, but from 1937 they switched to David Brown’s own. It was not a commercial success, with only around 1, 350 built before the war, but the smaller, lighter Ferguson TE-20 arrived in 1946, and that was another story… With Harry Ferguson hailing from County Down, his tractors are a highly esteemed part of Ulster heritage, but this example has an especially strong local connection, as it is believed it was originally supplied by Joshua White Ltd., the Ferguson agent in Armagh. In older restored condition with light patination, it has spent many years on static display in the private collection of Joshua’s son Ronald, so it will require recommissioning before use. About the Ronald White Collection: A lifelong enthusiast, Ronald White inherited his interest in motor cars from his father, Joshua. Joshua was still an adolescent when he took over a small bicycle repair shop and grew it into a successful family-run garage as private car ownership became more commonplace after the Great War. Father and son alike caught the collecting bug, and Joshua started the collection with a Bullnose Morris, which he displayed at the garage, and it grew from there. One of the White Collection’s gems is a delivery-mileage Morris Minor, which Joshua had the foresight to preserve from new, astutely identifying it as a landmark in the post-war Morris range. Another was the Alvis, which was sold new to a local gentleman, Nevill Bond, who lived at a stately home called The Argory. Joshua bought it back after Mr Bond had suffered an assassination attempt while driving it! The Whites also developed a personal friendship with Harry Ferguson; hence, the White Collection came to feature Ferguson tractors. By the 1950s, Joshua White Ltd. was well-established as a large BMC, Ford, and Ferguson dealership. It was around that time that Ronald—known to friends as Ronnie—started competing in tests, hill-climbs and rallies with his local motor club in Northern Ireland, always displaying the proud sponsorship of Joshua White Ltd. Upon his father’s retirement, Ronald took over the business and also set up Armagh Garages to sell Fiats. Come the 1960s, his competition career blossomed and took him all over Ireland and into England and Scotland. He was successful in many events, including the Circuit of Ireland Rally. In the late 1970s, his interest turned to rallycross, again competing in Ireland and England. It was a testament to his amiable personality that many of his employees at the garage would work through the night to prepare his cars for their sporting outings, and several continued to maintain his collection after he retired from running the garage. While his father had collected significant production cars, Ronald’s particular interest was competition cars. Naturally, many of his own race and rally cars found their way into his collection, and perhaps the most significant is ’52 LPH’, one of eight Austin-Healey Sebring Sprites prepared by John Sprinzel. Ronald bought it in November, 1962, and campaigned throughout the 1960s with his sister as navigator. He never lost his enthusiasm, and even in his twilight years, he was taking his cars to venues such as Goodwood and Beaulieu to demonstrate them and share his passion with others. ** Bidding will take place live at the venue, online via our H&H website, by telephone and commission - T&Cs apply** Catalogues can be purchased for £20 (admits 2...
