[AT] Ford motives was David Brown

[deanvp at att.net]

James,

There were no three point patent issues to worry about when the NAA was
announced in 1953

James: "Both parties benefitted from the joint venture. Ford ended up with
the 8N which had some real come from behinf market share. After they tweaked
the NAA hydraulic design there was no more 3 point  patent infringement
worries"

Dean VP
Apache Junction, AZ

-----Original Message-----
From: AT <at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com> On Behalf Of James Peck
Sent: Wednesday, February 5, 2020 9:20 AM
To: Antique Tractor Email Discussion Group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Subject: Re: [AT] Ford motives was David Brown

Two points: 

Prior to the Ford - Ferguson breakup Harry Ferguson spent some time working
on cost reductions for the Ford part of the 9N. This involved working with
component vendors to see what could be done to lower the price they charged
Ford. This experience probably helped him run his own enterprise.

The US was covertly aiding in the Allied WW2 effort before entering
themselves. The WW2 effort was itself hugely expensive. That all resulted in
price inflation. A price increase was in order. If Ford had not been willing
to rip Ferguson off, they could simply have unilaterally negotiated a price
increase for the price they sold to Ferguson and the price Ferguson sold to
the public.

Harry Ferguson could drive a tractor. Is there any evidence Henry Ford 2
ever even got on one? His reputation is as more of a playboy.

[James Peck February 5, 2020] Ford claimed to be losing money but that may
have been a ploy. I am guessing that new Ford President Henry Ford 2 was
clearing the deck of the older men who had been his grandfather's picks:
Sorensen, Bennet, and Ferguson.

Both parties benefitted from the joint venture. Ford ended up with the 8N
which had some real come from behinf market share. After they tweaked the
NAA hydraulic design there was no more 3 point  patent infringement worries.

Ferguson  ended up a two continent tractor manufacturer. He was obviously
anticipating the breakup.

Eagle Hitch and Fast Hitch morphed into three point hitch. It was Allis
Chalmers with their knock off of an earlier Ferguson hitch that was the
oddball. 

Dean VP Snohomish WA 98290 Deerecentric AT List Member (deanvp at att.net);
Everything I have read on the breakup of the relationship between Ferguson
and Ford was primarily related to economics.  Due to the financial details
of the handshake agreement Ford realized that Ferguson was making more money
on each N series tractor than they were. In fact The N Series was possibly
not profitable at all for Ford any more. Ford needed to get that corrected.
But the way they tried to get it corrected cost them almost $10 Million in
the Ferguson litigation settlement in 1952. But... that settlement allowed
all manufacturers to use the 3 point system on their own tractors without
royalties.  This was the beginning of  the end of the era of proprietary
hitches which the farmers eventually rejected. 
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