The Muir-Hill tractor story began in 1967, when the company made its first agricultural model, the 101.
Before this the company had produced dumpers and loading shovels but, when David JB Brown went to work in the design department at Muir-Hill, it took the company into a new area of tractor production.
Brown had previously worked for the Northrop company, which produced four-wheel-drive tractors based on Ford pre-Force 5000 skid units.
Northrop retained the Ford tinwork, and used the four-cylinder engine from the 5000.
The one problem with the Northrop tractor was that it proved to be underpowered, due to the four-wheel-drive system.
To address this, Northrop turbocharged the engine, and also developed a six-cylinder model, but it was all too late for the company.
Poor sales resulted in Northrop ceasing trading, the business was sold and Northrop tractor production ended.
The Northrop tractor was the forerunner to the Muir-Hill tractor we know today. When Muir-Hill decided to start tractor production, David JB Brown had the necessary knowledge to build a new, improved version of a four-wheel-drive tractor.
The lesson regarding engine power had been learned, and the new 101 tractor was fitted with a Ford 2715E industrial, six-cylinder engine.