Whilst Professor Dr. F Porsche was working to design a “people’s car” in 1930’s Germany, work was simultaneously being done to design a “people’s tractor” for industrial and farm use. The design hallmark of these tractors was a hydraulic coupling between engine and transmission allowing for smoother shifting. A trio of gasoline prototypes was produced in 1934, but Porsche’s post-war tractors were all powered by air-cooled diesel engines. Porsche built four models of tractor, from the 14-bhp Junior to the 55-bhp Super.

As evidenced by its “Junior” nomenclature, Porsche’s 108 L tractor was the smallest of Porsche’s family of tractors produced from 1956 to 1963. Just as hard working as they were attractive, these tractors were put to work all over continental Europe. Built at the old Zeppelin factory in Friedrichshafen-Manzell, Germany, over 125,000 Porsche tractors were produced, with the Junior models being the most popular. Only about 1,000 Porsche tractors of all variants were sold new to the U.S. due to stiff competition in the American market, and they are seldom seen here today.

As the company’s automobiles built a steady reputation for performance and motorsport success over the years, Porsche’s tractors slowly but surely grew in both popularity and demand as novelty collectables to sit alongside cars bearing the same name.

Finished in the traditional red with cream wheels, the tractor was acquired by the current English owner from a collector in Ireland and presents in excellent condition. It remains ready to be used and enjoyed either for recreational use or to be used on the farm and in the fields as its creators intended. No collection of Porsches is complete without one of the marque’s tractors, and this particular example will not disappoint.