FARM CLASSICS: Ford’s forgotten 8200 a rarity in blue

RARE tractors are well documented. Models that have short production runs such as the County 1884TW or Mercedes MB Trac 1800.

Others, such as the Ford 7810 Silver Jubilee, were produced deliberately in small number to make them special edition models. Some tractors were built for a short period to plug a market gap, such as the MF 600 series.

There is Ford tractor that had a short production run, was built to plug a market gap and to add to its rarity, was manufactured by a third party on behalf of Ford. The four-wheel drive Ford 8200 could be the collector’s item we all forgot about.

The Ford 8200 had a significantly short production run of only two years. Launched at the Smithfield show in 1980, the tractor was ‘designed’ and manufactured by County Commercial Cars at their factory in Fleet, Hampshire for Ford using mainly Ford components. The tractor took the place of the Ford 8100, also made by County. The purpose for the tractor was the fill a horsepower void in the line-up between the 95hp 4 cylinder 7700 and the 135hp 6cylinder turbocharged Ford TW-10, as well as providing a 4wd option.

At a glance, the 8100 and 8200 are similar in appearance, albeit for the 4wd axle. However, on closer inspection, it is both the front axles and power plants that really set these tractors apart. The 8100 is powered by a Ford commercial 2715E engine, which required a steel rail support frame to carry the unstressed engine block.

The full potential of the 8100’s 115hp could also not be achieved in 2wd format.

For the 8200, County employed the 6.6 litre Ford 401 engine, which did not require a support frame due to the stressed nature of the block enabling it to be load bearing. Equal in bore and stroke, the tractor produces 115hp. A Swiss built Schindler 4wd front axle allowed the full potential of the 8200 to be realised.

The 8200 is built around the gearbox and backend of the Ford 6700 tractor, employing a 16F/4R Dual Power constant mesh gearbox, through a larger 14-inch clutch. The tractor features bonnet extension panels to accommodate the extra two cylinders under the hood. Weighing in at 4.4 tons, the tractor has a lift capacity of 4.3tons and 38 litres of oil flow.

After a mere two years of production, the 8200 was replaced by the acclaimed Ford 8210 in 1983. Finally, a Ford manufactured 4wd front axle was fitted- a doubled edged sword that boosted the sales of Ford tractors in the 80s but ultimately led to the demise of County Commercial Cars tractor division.

If you have a Ford 8200 or any other rare tractor, please get in touch!

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