As the 90’s drew to a close, a new styling of tractor began to emerge across all manufacturers.

The straight line, sharp edge design being replaced by a sleeker, rounded and softer appearance, but looks are only part of the story.

Transmissions capable of 40kph with semi and powershift functions became the norm and driver comfort finally started to become more of a priority, while engines became more frugal yet powerful and responsive. And of course, sophisticated electronics.

This was also a period of immense transition for Ford tractors as they were purchased by the Fiatagri Group with Ford, New Holland and Fiatagri emerging under the umbrella of New Holland.

The popular Fiat Winner series and Ford 40 series were replaced in 1997 by one new tractor range.

However, in a feat of shrewd marketing these tractors were available in Ford blue as the 60 series and Fiat terracotta as the M series.

Keen to maintain customer brand loyalty, and to ease the transition of the New Holland brand name, these mid horsepower tractors took the company into the 21st century.

Launched in 1997, these tractors were smooth and sleek in appearance and looked ultramodern compared to the 40 series Ford/New Holland and Fiat Winner models they replaced.

Capitalising on their Fiat heritage, the terracotta tractors consisted of the M100, M115, M135 and M160 with the 8160, 8260, 8360 and 8560 as identical siblings.

In terms of styling, a one piece, sloping bonnet which is hinged at the back provided excellent visibility. This is further aided by the location of the exhaust stack perfectly in line with the left hand A pillar making it virtually invisible when driving. Large, rounded plastic mudguards shouldered either side of the cab.

The smallest tractor in the line-up, the M100 employs the tried-and-tested PowerStar engine in naturally aspirated guise and provides 100hp with hydraulic output of 98l/min and a lift capacity of 5.4tons. The M100 is available in many formats ranging from basic to range topping.

The new 18F/6R ‘RangeCommand’ powershift transmission was the big talking point of the M series- and 25 years later, albeit with some tweaks, is still a fundamental transmission for New Holland. Manual 20F/20R Shuttle Command is the basic option, with the Dual Command 24F/12R placed in the middle.

The cab is familiar to users of previous 40 series models, but offers more refinement through light brown plastic moulding and padding. The sweeping side console has all controls well positioned with spool valves positioned at 45 degrees to the seat and touch pads to control the lighting, as well as four-wheel drive and differential lock.

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