Cheffins Vintage Sale auctions 160 classic tractors at Ely

The Cheffins Vintage Sale at Sutton, near Ely, offered more than 1,400 sale lots which also included commercial vehicles, old motorbikes and other collectors’ items.

And there were some high prices paid, with many machines exceeding their estimates at the sale - which is one of the largest vintage auctions in Europe.

Highlights in the agricultural section included a 2007 New Holland T6070 tractor which sold for £53,000, followed by a Saunderson Tractor & Implement Co ride-on tractor plough which attracted a bid of £34,720 from an East Anglian collector.

A New Holland T6070 tractor was among the farm machines sold at the Cheffins Vintage Sale near Ely (Image: Cheffins)

A 1949 Field Marshall Series II Contractors tractor fetched £24,120 - more than twice its pre-sale estimate - while a Marshall Model M tractor sold for £21,654, against an estimate of £15,000 to £18,000.

Cheffins chairman Bill King said the sale had "surpassed expectations".

"There was much pre-sale interest with a good selection of both vintage, classic and modern classic tractors on offer," he said.

"Prices achieved for later classics prove that the there is a very active market for these types of tractors.

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"It is also clear that the more nuanced market for vintage tractors and machinery is still alive and kicking, with discerning buyers looking for something a bit special.

"Despite the rain there was an excellent crowd with buyers in attendance from throughout Europe and, while the cost of living crisis rages on, there is still a robust market for vintage items, with tractors and motorbikes seeing particularly healthy prices."

Among the commercial vehicles was a 1922 Ford Model T wireless repair van from Suffolk, which made £14,472, and other more unusual consignments included a fairground galloper carousel model which sold for £10,080.