Porsche-Diesel Tractor at Antique Powerland

Porsche-Diesel Standard 218 at Antique Powerland

Dr. Ferdinand Porsche first designed his "peoples tractor" in the early 1930s, and built three prototype tractors with gasoline engines in 1934. By the 1950's, he had developed an air-cooled diesel engine in 1-cylinder, 2-cylinder, 3-cylinder and 4-cylinder forms with interchangeable cylinders and heads, ranging from 14 to 55 horsepower. Porsche's designs were initially licensed to Allgaier, a metal stamping operation that had once built tractors and was interested in making a comeback. My the mid 1950s, Allgaier gave up the tractor business as metal stamping was higher margin, and in 1956 Porsche-Diesel, a division of German conglomerate Mannesmann, began production of four tractor models: the 14-horsepower 1-cylinder Junior, the 25-horsepower 2-cylinder Standard, the 38-horsepower 3-cylinder Super and the 50-horsepower 4-cylinder Master. In 1959 the lineup was changed, with 15, 20, 26, 30, 35 and 55 horsepower models. Porsche-Diesel tractors were produced until 1963, with the last being assembled in 1964. Over 125,000 Porsche-Diesel tractors were produced; approximately 1,000 were sold in the United States. The tractor shown here is a Porsche-Diesel Standard 218, powered by a 25-horsepower 2-cylinder engine, and was at the Great Oregon Steam-Up on August 1, 2009.

For more information, visit the Porsche-Diesel Tractor Registry.

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