It’s all part of AGCO Australia’s Massey Ferguson 50th anniversary celebrations, which continue to talk up one of the world’s most widely-sold tractor brands.

Project 65 started out as a way to raise funds for a great cause, in conjunction with the 1958 milestone event which saw the Massey-Harris-Ferguson name shortened to Massey Ferguson.

Today, however, vintage tractor scene enthusiasts are excited about the auction of one of the oldest MF65s still operating and one of the first, if not the first, to be landed in Australia.

AGCO Australia is coming to grips with the fact the old-timer was the 14th unit off the production line of the newly merged Massey and Ferguson companies.

The company’s Australian marketing director, Paul Darcy, said he was “astounded” by the tractor’s history.

“We were simply looking for a Massey Ferguson tractor that was built in 1958, one which we could restore and use as a centre piece for our 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner and then auction for charity,” he said.

“We had actually planned to run a competition to find the oldest Massey Ferguson in the country...little did we know when we were purchasing this unit that we had actually acquired the oldest,” he added.

Prior to the purchase the tractor was part of an extensive collection of vintage tractors owned and restored by Kevin Cooper from Ararat in Victoria.

Although fully refurbished in 2001, the MF65 underwent further restoration, courtesy of AGCO’s Melbourne staff after it was purchased at auction.

The tractor was then displayed at the recent Massey Ferguson 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner on Melbourne’s waterfront.

“We actually received a number of offers on the night to purchase the unit,” Paul Darcy said.

* Anybody wishing to place a bid for the tractor, go to: www.auctioncentre.com.au