who were the first fiat tractor dealers in ireland

f140

can anyone answer the question- who were the first fiat dealers in Ireland or who was the first crowd to start importing fiat tractors into Ireland?

Sam Kade

Hard to know, why do you want to know?

fastrac

I will guess Agri Power Cork. Alongside CFM the Massey dealers.

bogman_bass

it was probably one of the fiat car dealers that brought them in

atlantic mist

what was the first ever tractor imported in ireland?

grandfather seems to think that case were first here, he managed to get one of the first batch of cases imported was back in early 50's he thinks collected it at the port in cork cant remember their names, no cab but she done a great job

dont know bout the fiat, grandfather weakened he dnt see one till the 60's, he went ford after that, liked the american models

Nekarsulm

Perhaps the Tractormotors chain of garages sold them alongside the Fiat cars?

Markcheese

fastrac wrote:

I will guess Agri Power Cork. Alongside CFM the Massey dealers.

They were busy in the early 70's , my neighbour used to be a sales man in there ... no idea when they started and hes not around to ask ...

zetecescort

atlantic mist wrote: »

what was the first ever tractor imported in ireland?

grandfather seems to think that case were first here, he managed to get one of the first batch of cases imported was back in early 50's he thinks collected it at the port in cork cant remember their names, no cab but she done a great job

dont know bout the fiat, grandfather weakened he dnt see one till the 60's, he went ford after that, liked the american models

Ford the only factory in Ireland? if so every tractor pre 1919 was imported and every non Ford after 1919 imported

Nekarsulm

atlantic mist wrote: »

what was the first ever tractor imported in ireland?

grandfather seems to think that case were first here, he managed to get one of the first batch of cases imported was back in early 50's he thinks collected it at the port in cork cant remember their names, no cab but she done a great job

dont know bout the fiat, grandfather weakened he dnt see one till the 60's, he went ford after that, liked the american models

Loads of stuff before the Case. Don't know if any Ivels came over in the 20's, but there were Austin's plus many home made machines utilizing ford model T chassis and a second gearbox in line with the first gearbox, to lower the speed. Lots of Ferguson's sold in the late 30's and 40's.

stanflt

atlantic mist wrote: »

what was the first ever tractor imported in ireland?

grandfather seems to think that case were first here, he managed to get one of the first batch of cases imported was back in early 50's he thinks collected it at the port in cork cant remember their names, no cab but she done a great job

dont know bout the fiat, grandfather weakened he dnt see one till the 60's, he went ford after that, liked the american models

My grandfather had the 3rd ever tractor in Ireland in the early 1900s it's only display in the transport museum I think- I remember it had solid steel wheels

Will ask the mother what make and model it was

All I remember being told was that peopl from all over the country came to see the work of the devil

pedigree 6

My grandfather was a contractor. He had a thrashing mill and I think he might have had a steam engine driving it first. But he was one of the first in the area to buy a tractor. I think it was a fordson. The neighbours were calling in to see it and one of them says " You're not going to drive that in the fields. Sure it will destroy the land" I wonder what the same neighbour would think of the tractors today.:D

blue5000

f140 wrote: »

can anyone answer the question- who were the first fiat dealers in Ireland or who was the first crowd to start importing fiat tractors into Ireland?

I could be wrong, but I think it was McCormick Macnaughton who imported them first. They were Caterpillar agents until 2010. The earliest fiat tractor I remember was in the mid-70's.

mayota

My grandfather had one of the first tractors in Clare. 1930's. He cycled from Kilrush to Gort to view one but it wasn't suitable so he cycled on up to Athenry and bought one there.

djmc

I remember my late father saying once when he was a young man and decided to buy a tractor instead of the horse.
My grandfather was telling him it was pure foolishness and that those yokes would never catch on.

farmertipp

f140 wrote: »

can anyone answer the question- who were the first fiat dealers in Ireland or who was the first crowd to start importing fiat tractors into Ireland?

Some fiat car dealers sold them. Fiat dealer in tipp town sold alot of them from late 70s to early 80s

X6.430macman

blue5000 wrote: »

I could be wrong, but I think it was McCormick Macnaughton who imported them first. They were Caterpillar agents until 2010. The earliest fiat tractor I remember was in the mid-70's.

Who are McCormick macnaughton dealing in now or are they gone??? Who does Cat now???

White Clover

X6.430macman wrote: »

Who are McCormick macnaughton dealing in now or are they gone??? Who does Cat now???

Think they're gone wallop. Finning are the importers now.

porsche boy

Nekarsulm wrote:

Perhaps the Tractormotors chain of garages sold them alongside the Fiat cars?

Do you mean Tractamotors in Blanch? Don't think the name is any link to selling tractors.

Base price

I remember as a child there was a company in Santry Dublin who imported tractors & farm machinery. I think they were called Savills or something like that. I remember my Dad collecting a replacement engine head for my Uncles MF digger and that would have been in the early 70's.

tomwaterford

X6.430macman wrote: »

Who are McCormick macnaughton dealing in now or are they gone??? Who does Cat now???

Finnings....went for a job there not so long ago.....but never heard back from them
Dublin would be nice for a few years to live in

Nekarsulm

porsche boy wrote: »

Do you mean Tractamotors in Blanch? Don't think the name is any link to selling tractors.

There is a Tractormotors in Cavan town as well. Sold Fiat cars up until the late 80's. Still trading as a tyre and exhaust centre, plus a large home improvements and builders merchants. They sold farm machinery and tractors back untill the 70's, but don't know if Fiat tractors.

Base price

Nekarsulm wrote: »

There is a Tractormotors in Cavan town as well. Sold Fiat cars up until the late 80's. Still trading as a tyre and exhaust centre, plus a large home improvements and builders merchants. They sold farm machinery and tractors back untill the 70's, but don't know if Fiat tractors.

They had a place in Santry (Dublin) I think, down the road from the Swiss Cottage on the Airport side. Beside the place that I was referring to in my post.

Nekarsulm

Base price wrote: »

They had a place in Santry (Dublin) I think, down the road from the Swiss Cottage on the Airport side. Beside the place that I was referring to in my post.

We once had a 65 digger with a Tractormotors plate fixed to the bonnet. I wonder did they sell new Masseys ever?

ford 5600

Base price wrote: »

I remember as a child there was a company in Santry Dublin who imported tractors & farm machinery. I think they were called Savills or something like that. I remember my Dad collecting a replacement engine head for my Uncles MF digger and that would have been in the early 70's.

JH Saville were the International importers , in Santry, co Dublin. I think they closed in or around 1980 odd.

The Fiat 411 was sold in the early 1960s, 63 ish? Something about Paddy Pentony rings a bell, but could be wrong. Swords direction ? The Universal 445 was a copy of the 411, but built in Romania in the 1970s, and imported by Traynors in Dublin , and Curleys of Kiltormer, Co Galway.

The late Paddy Delaney, formally of Ballaghmore , Co Laois had a business right beside where TFM are at Emo Cross , co Laois, definitely sold new Fiat tractors in 1979. An orange , as opposed to brown colour, 780, which was still I use up to 7 or 8 years ago. George Jamieson in Roscrea , started selling Fiat tractors in 1981, having give up/lost the Ford tractor dealership. They closed in 1985 , and WR Shaw in Rosenalis started selling then.

Base price

Nekarsulm wrote: »

We once had a 65 digger with a Tractormotors plate fixed to the bonnet. I wonder did they sell new Masseys ever?

Was that what they were called. I mean the same as your relative had in Cavan/Longford in the 60's?
I will ask my brothers about the companies in Santry over Christmas as they are older than me and will remember better. I will also ask my Mam who my Uncle bought the digger from, it was a new one.

Base price

ford 5600 wrote: »

JH Saville were the International importers , in Santry, co Dublin. I think they closed in or around 1980 odd.

The Fiat 411 was sold in the early 1960s, 63 ish? Something about Paddy Pentony rings a bell, but could be wrong. Swords direction ? The Universal 445 was a copy of the 411, but built in Romania in the 1970s, and imported by Traynors in Dublin , and Curleys of Kiltormer, Co Galway.

The late Paddy Delaney, formally of Ballaghmore , Co Laois had a business right beside where TFM are at Emo Cross , co Laois, definitely sold new Fiat tractors in 1979. An orange , as opposed to brown colour, 780, which was still I use up to 7 or 8 years ago. George Jamieson in Roscrea , started selling Fiat tractors in 1981, having give up/lost the Ford tractor dealership. They closed in 1985 , and WR Shaw in Rosenalis started selling then.

Woo hoo I was right, not a bad memory for an auld one
I was going to mention Paddy Pentony too but I was not sure if he imported tractors. Pentony's were based in Swords village.
I remember hearing that McCulloch's in Ballyboughil were machinery importers too but that was before my time. I always associated them with IH but I could be wrong.
A Dublin relative bought a new Universal from Tom? Traynor in the early 70's.

ford 5600

Nekarsulm wrote: »

We once had a 65 digger with a Tractormotors plate fixed to the bonnet. I wonder did they sell new Masseys ever?

They imported the world of second hand MF diggers, 35s, 65rs, 3303s and JCB 3cs and some Hymac 580s track machines . They also sold parts, as I remember an uncle going up to Cavan for stuff for a 3 c in the mid 70s.

ford 5600

Base price wrote: »

Woo hoo I was right, not a bad memory for an auld one
I was going to mention Paddy Pentony too but I was not sure if he imported tractors. Pentony's were based in Swords village.
I remember hearing that McCulloch's in Ballyboughil were machinery importers too but that was before my time. I always associated them with IH but I could be wrong.
A Dublin relative bought a new Universal from Tom? Traynor in the early 70's.

Not a bad memory for an ould one..hmm. I must be older.

You could be right on the McCulloch , I remember the name, but no idea what they sold.

Traynors, I think you are right on Tom . They later relocated to Clonmel, co Tipperary , where they imported Pottinger and Fliegl, before Pottinger took the over recently.

Nekarsulm

Base price wrote: »

Was that what they were called. I mean the same as your relative had in Cavan/Longford in the 60's?
I will ask my brothers about the companies in Santry over Christmas as they are older than me and will remember better. I will also ask my Mam who my Uncle bought the digger from, it was a new one.

Yeah, his was bought new, must ask the cousin if he knows where his dad bought it. Ours was second-hand, came from somewhere near Mullingar. The guy who brought ours home had no ramps for his lorry, so they drove it down to a sand quarry and used a sand pile as a ramp......

Base price

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Yeah, his was bought new, must ask the cousin if he knows where his dad bought it. Ours was second-hand, came from somewhere near Mullingar. The guy who brought ours home had no ramps for his lorry, so they drove it down to a sand quarry and used a sand pile as a ramp......

As one did in those days - improvise

Shannon757

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Yeah, his was bought new, must ask the cousin if he knows where his dad bought it. Ours was second-hand, came from somewhere near Mullingar. The guy who brought ours home had no ramps for his lorry, so they drove it down to a sand quarry and used a sand pile as a ramp......

How did they get it on the truck?

Nekarsulm

Backed the tail of the lorry into a pile of sand, and drove the digger up the other side of the pile.

Base price

ford 5600 wrote: »

Not a bad memory for an ould one..hmm. I must be older.

You could be right on the McCulloch , I remember the name, but no idea what they sold.

Traynors, I think you are right on Tom . They later relocated to Clonmel, co Tipperary , where they imported Pottinger and Fliegl, before Pottinger took the over recently.

When I read OP question first I immediately thought of the company in Rosenallis who were Fiat agents - Shaws?? There is a lovely man working there who is a mine of information and a few years ago helped out OH on the phone with information on the correct clutch to get for our 880.
There was also a company near the Naul, Co Dublin who sold Fiats - Ennis Farm Machinery.

Base price

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Backed the tail of the lorry into a pile of sand, and drove the digger up the other side of the pile.

My Uncle bought a Ford Nan for my brother in 1977/78. My brother transported it from Longford to NCD on the back of a VW T3 flatbed. He drove the tractor onto the creamery can stand at my grandparents house and onto the van. He got if off at home by reversing the van up to a bank in the field and reversed the tractor off using two planks .

orm0nd

I remember (vaguely) a garage selling fiat tractors in limerick , I'd say late 1960's or early 70's

think it was Smiths in dooradoyle they may have sold cars as well before dan ryan took fiat agency

tomwaterford

Shannon757 wrote: »

How did they get it on the truck?

Loading ramp at garage??

jbshn

My dad bought a new fiat in Dublin in 1963 and drove it home 80miles. It was an is a fiat 312r and the main dealer and I think importer was a group called McCarrans ( not sure if that is correct spelling) think they were in Santry????