The Lanz factory, located in Mannheim, Germany, initially manufactured steam engines and motor cultivators before introducing the iconic Lanz Bulldog in 1921. Over the following thirty years, nearly a quarter of a million of these rugged tractors were produced. In 1956, the company was acquired by John Deere. By 1958, the Bulldog was being manufactured in John Deere's signature green, and the Deere name was featured alongside Lanz. By the late 1960s, the Lanz brand was completely phased out, although the Mannheim facility continues to operate.