Vintage tractor auctioned for hospital playroom

The 1963 model has been fully restored by a specialist local company

A vintage tractor is being auctioned in an effort to raise up to £30,000 for a new children's hospital.

Cheffins is selling the restored 1963 Fordson Super Dexta tractor with all proceeds going to Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust to provide a playroom at Cambridge Children's Hospital.

Cheffins purchased the tractor in June 2024 from Lincolnshire, and it was fully restored by Youngs Agricultural Services in Stretham, near Ely.

The Fordson Super Dexta has a pre-sale estimate of £20,000 - £30,000 and will go under the hammer in Cambridge on 18 October.

As part of the company's 200th anniversary celebrations, the "Cheffins Charity Tractor" has been showcased at events across the UK, including the National Tractor Run, The Suffolk Show, The Norfolk Show, Tractor Fest at Newby Hall, Haddenham Steam Rally and the Saffron Walden Carnival procession.

The Fordson model was first launched in 1961 and produced from April 1962.

The 1963 model features an "uprated P4696 Minimec pump, delivering 44.5hp, as well as features including 'live' power take-off, hydraulics, and a pick-up hitch", the company said.

Oliver Godfrey, director and head of the Cheffins machinery division, said: "The Super Dexta is a legend among vintage tractor collectors. Thanks to the expert restoration... it looks truly magnificent and has already turned heads at shows across the country.

"Whoever buys the [vehicle] will not only be taking home an iconic vintage tractor and a piece of agricultural history, but they will also be directly funding a playroom for the new Cambridge Children's Hospital.

"When complete, the hospital will transform healthcare for children in the region and will service some 1.5 million people living in Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex," he added.