Tractor [Caterpillar Thirty]
Maker and role
Caterpillar Tractor Company, Manufacturer
Production date
1927
See full details
Object detail
Accession number
F2556.2005
Production period
Description
Tractor - Caterpillar Thirty. Tractor on tracks, painted blue-grey.
Brief History
The Caterpillar Tractor Company was formed in 1925 by a merger of the Holt Manufacturing Company and C.L. Best Tractor Company. Amongst the first tractors they produced was the Caterpillar Thirty, which had previously been the Best 30. The tractor has three forward gears plus one reverse gear, and has a 30HP, 4-cylinder petrol engine.
After the merger, Caterpillar adopted Holt’s colour scheme of grey and red. The company again changed the colour of their tractors in 1931, when the Depression caused a reduction in tractor sales. The new ‘Hi-Way Yellow’ was hoped to boost sales and made the machinery more visible. This new colour became known as ‘Caterpillar Yellow’.
Crawler tractors such as this tended to be expensive and not many were imported into New Zealand. Eighteen Caterpillar Thirties were imported between 1925 and 1928. By 1929, there was a total of 3377 tractors in New Zealand, however most farmers were still using horses to carry out heavy work.
After the merger, Caterpillar adopted Holt’s colour scheme of grey and red. The company again changed the colour of their tractors in 1931, when the Depression caused a reduction in tractor sales. The new ‘Hi-Way Yellow’ was hoped to boost sales and made the machinery more visible. This new colour became known as ‘Caterpillar Yellow’.
Crawler tractors such as this tended to be expensive and not many were imported into New Zealand. Eighteen Caterpillar Thirties were imported between 1925 and 1928. By 1929, there was a total of 3377 tractors in New Zealand, however most farmers were still using horses to carry out heavy work.
Marks
CATERPILLAR / THIRTY Embossed
Media/Materials
Other name
Caterpillar 30
Collection
Credit Line
Caterpillar Tractor Company. 1927. Tractor [Caterpillar Thirty], F2556.2005. The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT).
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