Last British-built McCormick CX to be auctioned
McCormick TI Press Release -McCormick is taking the unprecedented step of auctioning one of its most historically-significant tractors.
The specially-prepared McCormick CX105 XtraShift is turned out in McCormicks new red, silver and grey livery with special Union Jack flag decals celebrating its status as the last CX to be built at the companys Doncaster assembly plant in South Yorkshire.
The popular CX range is now being produced at the Italian factory of McCormicks parent, the ARGO Group, and by the end of the year the remaining models in McCormicks line-up will also be built there.
This isnt the end of the CX; its our best-selling tractor, emphasises Jeremy Lamb, McCormick UK sales director. It will continue to be available and to satisfy owners with an appealing blend of performance and compact size, with a generous cab that provides excellent driver accommodation for a tractor in this class.
However, we wanted to mark this latest chapter in the Doncaster plants story in a special way because of the great respect people have for its role over the past 60 years, he adds. How better to celebrate than give someone the chance to own the final Doncaster-built CX tractor, while supporting a very deserving charitable cause?
The highest postal or online bid will secure the tractor, with all proceeds above the £21,000 reserve donated to the Queen Elizabeths Foundation. This organisation encourages and enables adults with disabilities to improve their life skills and increase their independence through training and specialised support.
Bids can be placed through McCormicks website or by using the postal bidding form printed in the October and November 2007 editions of Classic Tractor magazine, available now at news agents or on subscription. The deadline for all bids is 6th November.
Rory Day, editor of Classic Tractor, emphasises the significance of the tractor: The McCormick CX represents an important part of our farm mechanisation heritage and the Doncaster plant story. Its unprecedented for a manufacturer to sell such a historically-significant tractor and a rare opportunity for an enthusiast to own one.
The CX105 is McCormicks best-selling individual model in Britain and the example that completed the Doncaster production run is built to the top Deluxe XtraShift specification, complete with air conditioning.
It has a four-cylinder Perkins 1100-series engine developing 102hp and is equipped with the XtraShift transmission, which features a smooth-shifting power shuttle, three-speed powershift and 24 speeds in forward and reverse.
The tractors prominent Union Jack bonnet and roof decals carry the legend:
The final British-built CX July 2007
Doncaster Driven with Pride 1946-2007.