This has to be one of the most amazing photos of all. Last week it was nine Tigers in a row. This week it is nine Tigers plus one combine. As you might say, we are all combined now with a 1965 Clayson M103. This is a very unique machine with a Ford engine and drives, well, it drives!

We are very grateful to Charles Ison who has supplied the following commentary on the machine.

This combine ( circa 1965 ) would be one of the latter examples of this machine , which in its first incarnation ( I think as the MZ 52 ) which was produced by the Claeys company in Zedelmengen ( check the spelling !), about 1950 as one of the first if not the first self propelled combines built in Europe.

These were imported via Bamfords of Uttoxeter ( before they became JCB) and were known as Bamford-Claeys , then Bamford Claysons. The M103 was produced from the late 1950s , and was powered by a 6 cylinder Ford engine ( the 4 cylinder version of which was used on the Fordson Super Major tractor , and indeed some owners increased the power of their tractor by bolting in this larger engine ).

To improve the range of products even further and to offer its dealers a wider franchise, the company decided to enter the combine harvester market in 1959. Design and manufacture were not deemed as practical propositions as neither sufficient space or labour was available, therefore arrangements were made to import the Clayson machine from Belgium. This arrangement proved very successful and was continued until 1964 when the Claeys Company was bought out by the New Holland Division of Sperry Rand. However Bamfords have remained in the combine harvester market and now offer the BM Volvo range from Sweden.

Therefore the 1965 machine I would think ( but stand to be corrected) is a new Holland Clayson due to the takeover of Leon Claeys by Sperry. However as the machine may have been built ( rather than shipped or sold ) before the company was sold then it would have the old makers plate on it.

As to the colour they are always yellow , and the successor company is New Holland , which is part of CNH (Case New Holland) who still manafacture combines in the same plant.

My grandfather purchased a 1963-4 10ft 6 inch cut machine in Cambridgeshire as new, then my father purchased it in 1969 and worked it every season until 1981 , when on the last field of the harvest , one of the pistons shot through the side of the crankcase, and , as it had died on the headland next to the farm , it was left for a neighbours machine( he had 2 M103s) to finish the field. The next year we bought another M103 for £400 and my father drove it back 15 miles to our farm. It then did 4 seasons on our farm , during which time I was driving a good deal of the time , and such spares as we needed we removed from the hulk of the other machine . Both had the "air conditioned" ie No cab , which required one to think how to steer and cut to minimize the time the tail was up wind , to avoid being covered in dust and halm on the platform ( goggles and a mask were a must !!) . My father moved his farming business to Scotland , to concentrate on livestock , so the combines were sold , the dead one being removed by the travelling scrapmen ( it took 2 Hiab equipped lorries to lift it onto one of their number) and the second was sold for £250 in the farm sale.

£37 per season is not bad depreciation especially as you can add a few noughts after this for new machines.

The factory where these combines were built is still producing combines for CNH Case New Holland ( later Clayson models were branded New Holland Claysons ) and I believe they have fully restored a M103 for publicity and demonstration purposes . I have worked as a contractor for CNH ( and Case IH ) as a parts consultant , and a lot of the small parts in machines produced to this day trace their origins back to the M103 in their parts system. Long may your machine continue to cut and harvest grain.

Vehicle History at the Museum

What a picture!

Here is the corresponding picture at Roberts Cove Rally. We took 1122. She really looked handsome.

Next some pictures of our latest acquisition. She was driven all the way from Roberts Cove to the depot by Stephen Payne. We have many of them as she is a unique acquisition.

He did not half cause chaos coming through Carrigaline.

Front View

Rear View

He proved absolutely expert at having a queue of cars behind all wanting a look.

There were queues everywhere! Here is Carrs Hill.

He was on his way to Dublin but as top speed was 6 m.p.h. he changed his mind and opted for Knockraha instead. He said he would take her to next years Cultra Rally so he will have to leave next monday to be there for April!

It seems like everyone else was smoking in Cork Tunnel as, of course, our machine did not smoke at all! They had to close the tunnel for four hours just after we got through so we were lucky to be ahead of all those other smokers.

The dash is rudimentary to say the least!

Crude Engineering.

The supplier in 1965. She is one of our oldest pieces of equipment now.

The supplier in 1965. She is one of our oldest pieces of equipment now.

Manufacturers Plate!

Coming down the drive. He ran the combine and it doubled as an effective weedcutter. It also was a a little wider than the drive.

Coming in the gate of the depot.

Alongside 1122 again.