It was 1979 when the standard version of the Massey Ferguson 135 finally bowed out, leaving just the 135 MkIII vineyard to fly the flag for the model in the UK. This venerable little tractor had been in production since the mid ’60s, and almost half a million had been built at Banner Lane, in that time, but it was time for something ‘new’.
The introduction of the 500 Series, in 1976, had meant that the 550 was the new, small tractor for those that wanted something with the power output of a 135, but it was evident that there was still a desire for something more basic.
MF addressed this by launching the 200 Series, built at Banner Lane, Coventry, and Beauvais, France, for the European market. The company recognised that: “Modern agriculture presents the farmer with a wide variety of challenges every day. And with the apparently conflicting demands of ever-increasing productivity with tight financial control, these challenges can sometimes seem daunting.
“So, if a rugged, versatile, competitively priced, medium horsepower tractor will fit into your farming operation, take a good look at the latest 200 Series range of tractors from Massey Ferguson.”
The first two British-built models to be introduced were the three-cylinder 240 QD and four-cylinder 265 QD – 45hp (DIN) and 60hp (DIN) tractors that were around £500 cheaper than the equivalent
