What David Brown? After all, it’s Case IH Puma in white disguise. Yes it’s true. The Dutch dealer of the Case IH and Steyr brands, LMB Oosterhof, started by selling David Brown tractors and, for its 50th anniversary, created a supposedly new David Brown tractor and restored the old one. It looks quite nice, doesn’t it?
Mechanics well versed in history know well the British brand David Brown, which once owned Aston Martin and in 1972 merged with Case. Then, in the 1980s, the David Brown name slowly disappeared from the market, until even the old factory in Huddersfield closed. White tractors were popular primarily on the islands, but they were also imported to Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and France. They were even present at fairs in Poznań in the times of the Polish People’s Republic. Today’s Case IH dealer, LMB Oosterhof in Roodeschool in the Netherlands, started its adventure with tractors with David Brown, so for their 50th anniversary, they created a visualization of what tractors of this brand would look like if production were in full swing.
For those who are not familiar with the English brand or would like to delve deeper into the history of this company, we recommend an article about the history of David Brown. It is worth reading, because not everyone knows that Aston Martin once belonged to this tractor company, and a souvenir of those times is the marking of the models with the letters “DB”, which directly refer to the David Brown brand.
Two David Brown tractors for the company’s 50th anniversary
In mid-March, the owners of LMB Oosterhof, Erwin and Eiko Oosterhof, celebrated the 50th anniversary of their business. The stars of this meeting were two tractors. The first is a completely restored David Brown 1690 from 1981. The second is a complete surprise, a Case IH Puma 150CVX decorated as a David Brown 1690.
Mr. and Mrs. Oosterhof grew up in a time when their family company traded in David Brown tractors and this had a strong influence on them, as they are still fans of this British brand. In 2015, one of the company’s clients gave up farming (some prophet or what?) and sold all his machinery, including a David Brown 1690 from 1981.
– We are not a museum and we do not want to become one in the future. But because of our youth, we always have special memories associated with the David Brown brand – said Eiko Oosterhof for Trekker monthly.
Let’s do something different
When the company’s anniversary was approaching, it was decided to show something unique. Initially, the idea was to present something new, something that had not been shown at Roodeschool before. But the family and staff preferred to return to the good old days by restoring David Brown 1690.
The Oldtimer sat in the back corner of the building for years. The mechanics got to work, spending evenings and weekends restoring the ancient David Brown. The sheet metal was sanded and painted again. The cabin was dismantled and refurbished. Now the tractor looks like new again.
– Our classic tractor is not for sale. The staff won’t let me sell it. It occupies a good place in the showroom – said Eiko Oosterhof in a statement for Trekker.
The 1690 model was produced in the early 1980s as part of the 90 series. In addition to the presented model, the range also included the David Brown 1490. The tractors had a power of 83 and 103 HP. The more powerful version had a 6-cylinder engine, the smaller one had a 4-cylinder engine, both of their own design. Tractors have been produced since 1980 under the David Brown brand (from 1983 Case David Brown) in the classic color of the English company: white mixed with black and red. The best-equipped versions, of course, had the company’s own Hydrashift transmission. In 1984, the 94 series models went into production and were very similar to their predecessors. The offer was then supplemented with the 1594 model with a power of 97 HP, while the 1694 version received the same 6-cylinder AD6/55T engine as before, but strengthened to 112 HP. This series was already more popular as Case.
Brand new David Brown 1690
In addition to the classic tractor, the Oosterhof brothers showed a new Case IH Puma 150CVX at the anniversary party, which looks like a David Brown 1690 from the outside. This tractor is covered with pearl white foil, and some elements are orange.
Currently, the new David Brown can be admired in the LMB Oosterhof showroom, but the company will soon put the tractor up for sale. I wonder if there will be anyone willing. There is nothing else like it on the market. For now
– .
