David Brown

David Brown was a patternmaker who established his business in Huddersfield, England, in 1860, primarily focusing on gear manufacturing. In 1936, he formed a partnership with Harry Ferguson, resulting in the production of 1,350 Ferguson-Brown tractors. However, the partnership ended shortly after, with Ferguson moving to the United States to collaborate with Ford. The first tractor released under the David Brown brand, the VAK1, was unveiled in 1939, with initial orders totaling 3,000 units; unfortunately, due to World War II, only 1,000 were actually produced. Full production of tractors resumed after the war. In 1972, David Brown Tractors became a subsidiary of Tenneco, operating as a division of JI Case. By 1983, tractors were no longer manufactured under the David Brown name but rather the Case brand. The Meltham factory, which had been the production site for all David Brown tractors, was closed in 1988.