[Farmall] M / Super M grille designs

[Dean Vinson]

My current M has the standard M grille (complete with missing insert and cut
bottom piece, unfortunately):
http://www.vinsonfarm.net/photos/M_October06.jpg

I was looking at some old pictures and noticed that my old Super M had a
different grille:  it didn't have the two implement-mounting holes up high
on the sides, like the Super MTAs did, but it had blank places where those
holes would go.  You can see them in this picture:
http://www.vinsonfarm.net/photos/sm_october.jpg

I can't find any pictures of similar grilles in any of my large stack of
Farmall books.   They either are the original kind, or they have the holes,
but I can't find any that show the blanks.  Does anybody know the history?
That Super M was a late 53 model, with the live hydraulics and the battery
under the seat.  Damn but I wish I'd kept it.

I also notice in that picture that the grille insert looks like it's in
upside down... I'd never noticed that while I owned the tractor!  And yes,
it had the Farmall wings emblem from an M rather than the IH emblem from a
Super M.

Dean Vinson
Dayton, Ohio
www.vinsonfarm.net