[AT] Charles Sorensen not a tractor man

[James Peck]

Sorensen implies that Henry was already senile when he made the deal with Harry. It worked for both of them. However, Henry could have just asked Harry to provide him a hydraulic belly lift and three point hitch for the 37 experimental. But why argue with a working machine. It turned Ford back into a major player in the tractor market.

There is no record of Harry and Henry falling out. When Henry died and his grandson took over, Hank the Deuce had to get rid of his competitors who had his grandfather's ear.

Harry Bennett, the gunslinger and wannabe mobster, who was Henry’s choice of successor.
Charles Sorensen, who maintains the feds offered to give him the top job at Ford due to his Willow Run success.
Harry Ferguson who knew HF2 when he was a kid.

The Ford row crop tractor  https://antiquetractorblog.com/2016/09/26/experimental-ford-tractor-link-between-fordson-and-ford-9n/ could have done well if they developed a integral hydraulic lift like Farmalls and Deere A B G etc had with matching attachments for planting and cultivation, the latter where the N series had limitations. Had they added three point as well they might have had a true game changer.

[James] That corrupted hard drive also had my photos of the 1937 or so Ford tractor experimental model. It looked like a Farmall F12 with a 1932 Ford V8 radiator shell and hood.  It does not live where it used to live.

I do not know how the torque curves of a flathead V8 compare to a straight four of the same displacement. Used to be that straight sixes were credited with more low rpm torque than equivalent displacement V8s. 

I believe that Charles Sorensen's viewpoint, expressed in his biography, that this model would have had much commercial success if Henry had not quashed it in favor of the 9N, is inaccurate. 

Charles was probably the gatekeeper who kept Ford and Ferguson apart for so long. If he was more tractor savvy, maybe the Farm Jeep would have been more of a success.

[James] Some years back I was invited to join a lean manufacturing email group by someone I interacted with in a stamping group. My experiences dealing with Toyota led me to speak up about some of the viewpoints of those who anticipated getting something for nothing. That led me to be lent a book about the manufacturing of TE20s at Banner Lane when Standard Motor Car was the world’s most efficient auto manufacturer. I scanned the book. Well, the wages of sin led to my hard drive becoming corrupted and it was not backed up.

[Indiana] One of my laptops is acting up so I was looking to be sure I had everything backed up. While looking I ran across this Ferguson and Ford information so I thought I would share it here. It always bothers me a little to think that I might have information someone could use and me failing to share it and it getting lost forever. My files are as badly organized as my shop...  :-) I don't recall who Bob Sybrandy is or where this information came from. I guess I might have found it on this ATIS list but I don't think so.
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