Classic Oliver Tractors: History, Models, Variations, & Specifications 1897–1976
Classic Oliver Tractors: History, Models, Variations, & Specifications 1897–1976
ITEM 242AP
By Sherry Schaefer
Classic Oliver Tractors chronicles this historic agricultural brand from when James Oliver bought a quarter-share of the South Bend Foundry in 1855 to when the last Oliver-branded tractor rolled off the assembly line in 1976. The Oliver Corporation’s roots run deep in the agricultural industry. This once small company started with a young man and an idea that would lighten the load of the farmer. Through the years the company grew and acquired other companies with the same philosophy until nearly a dozen companies operating under the Oliver flag became a strong force in the farm market.
This new account of Oliver’s history includes its industrial and crawler tractors, implements, international ventures, and the various products that carried the Oliver badge. Vintage advertisements, brochures, and both color and black and white photos, alongside contemporary color images, illustrate this compelling part of agriculture’s history.
Sftbd. 160 pgs. Color and b&w photos.
Based on the title, my initial reaction to this softcover book was that it would be a look at models the author believed had some unique—classic—role in Oliver history. Instead, I found a history of Oliver—the company—dating from its earliest origins with chilled or hardened plowshares in 1855; the 1929 merger of Hart-Parr, Nichols & Shepard, and Oliver Chilled Plow Works to create the Oliver Farm Equipment Co.; its various acquisitions; the company’s acquisition by the White Motor Corp. in 1960; and finally, to Oliver’s ultimate demise in 1976.
Originally published in 2009, this 2019 Second Edition features what the publisher explains is “more models, more photos, and more pages”—even outboard motors, plastic-like truck cabs, and jet fuselage assemblies. The book offers informative text and over 100 color photographs of restored tractors and implements, plus color images of sales literature and advertisements and black-and-white historical photographs. Ten chapters include The Plants of Oliver, Agricultural Tractors, Industrial Tractors, The Crawler Line, Oliver Implements, Special Tractors, Oliver Across the Pond, Miscellaneous Products, Tell ’Em and Sell ’Em, and The Company. The latter chapter, oddly, returns to 1930, completing the historical narrative begun in the first chapter.
Book Review by Robert Gabrick
