Leyland Tractors: A Power on the Land 1969-1982 DVD - Description
Film-makers Stephen Richmond and Jonathan Whitlam are Leyland tractor
enthusiasts and at the end of this programme they take us round their own
collection of this marque. However, in the bulk of this fast-moving DVD they lay
out the complete story of the Leyland models including background on Nuffield
and Marshall.
Nuffield first. The account starts in 1948 with the Nuffield Universal and
follows developments through the M3, M4, DM4, 4DM, 342, 460 and the ten series.
After a brief look at the Bray 10/60 4 the Nuffield series is taken to its
conclusion with the 3/45 4/65 and 4/25.
The presenters then show how the blue British Leyland tractors built on the
Nuffield line they replaced. One of the hallmarks of Leyland was slow evolution
rather than rapid product change. This is shown through the range that developed
in the early 1970s including the 344, 384, 154, 253, 245, 255, 270, 285 and the
powerful 2100. Four-wheel drive came in with the 485 and the 4100.
Quiet cabs and power steering helped make the 272 probably Leyland's most
successful tractor. Then in 1978 came what the presenters believe to be the
company's most significant advance: the introduction of the Synchro range with
far easier gear change on the move. The 472 and 462 4WD versions now had smaller
front wheels.
1979 saw the introduction of turbocharging to the 282 and 482 as well as
Leyland's part in the development of the backhoe loader when JCB adopted its
skid units. There is good footage of a 3DIII still at work. Reference is also
made to other industrials: the Loadall 520 4 and Climax rough-terrain
machines.
But all was not well with the company. There were production problems at
Bathgate, including poor quality control. BL apparently spent its tractor
profits shoring up the car division and there was almost no new tractor
development. 1980 saw the introduction of the yellow-and-black Harvest Gold
livery and Explorer cabs. The 804 became the flagship model but the end was in
sight and the company joined Marshall under the ownership of Charles
Nickerson.
At this point the film goes back to look at the history of Marshall, dealing
briefly with traction engines, the Colonial, the 1530, 1830, 1220 and the Model
M. Then on to the post-war Field Marshalls, Fowlers and Track Marshalls until
catching up again with the 1982 merger.
At first production at Gainsborough was little more than re-badging in the
Marshall name until in 1984 the turbocharged 904 XL is seen as the ultimate
development of Leyland design. Production moved to Scunthorpe but only a hundred
of these machines were built.
The programme includes detail of the final years of Marshall, the time of the
weak agricultural machinery market in 1980s Britain, and then, in 1996, the end
of Track Marshall. Finally, a quick look at the JWD tractors that flourished in
the 1990s.
This programme covers an enormous amount of ground. Footage includes stills,
film from rallies and ploughing matches as well as on-farm footage. The amount
of time devoted to individual machines varies widely. However, this is the first
DVD to cover the story of what is going to be remembered as the only significant
tractor marque which was British-owned throughout its history.
