Twin City tractors were a hit with British farmers

US: New range of machinery was introduced to Britain in 1938

In 1938 a new range of tractors and farm machinery was introduced to Britain when Sale Tilney became the UK distributors of Minneapolis Moline equipment.

The equipment quickly became known by its easier-on-the-tongue initials MM. The Scottish agents were James H Steele of Harrison Road in Edinburgh. The origins of the firm have many roots including the Moline Plow Co of Illinois which initially offered the Moline Universal tractor. One was trialled by the HASS in 1917 and a number are thought to have worked in the UK.

Around the same time another part of the equation, the Minneapolis Threshing Machine Co, evolved rudimentary tractors from its steam engine designs. New and badge engineered designs continued during the 1920s.

The Minneapolis Steel and Machinery Company was another of the early runners in the area and it was its Twin City tractors which were more successful. A merger of the concerns took place in 1929 to create the Minneapolis Moline Power Implement Co and a rationalisation of models and designs took place.

Although MM tractors never came over in the numbers of International, Case or John Deere tractors, those that did proved popular with the British owners and a range of implements including disc harrows grain drills came too.

The devaluation of the pound against the dollar in the post-war years saw a huge reduction in American imports.

This led Sale Tilney to negotiate with MM about building an MM tractor in the UK, however, the tractor proved expensive for what was a basic machine with no lift, and production, which had centred on Essendine, ceased in 1949.

MM tractors proved popular with British owners.