New Holland is celebrating 60 years since the opening of its tractor factory in Basildon, England, with the unveiling of a celebration edition tractor and the strengthening of the plant’s role as the brand’s Alternative Fuels Centre of Excellence, alongside its position as its global tractor production facility.
To mark the Basildon plant’s 60th birthday, maintaining a tradition that began with the Silver Jubilee 7810 of 1989 and continued with the Golden Jubilee T6.180 and T7.270 tractors of 2014, New Holland has unveiled a celebration edition T7.300 tractor. The graphics that adorn it celebrate the era in which the Basildon factory was founded, taking inspiration from the 1960s decade which saw so many leaps forward in technological advancement.
Created by CNH Centro Stile, the anniversary edition’s livery is inspired by the colours and patterns of ‘Swinging ‘60s’ London, with psychedelic shapes characterized by vivid and fluid colours of blue, yellow, maroon and pink around New Holland’s distinctive leaf logo in bright yellow on the hood. The tractor, of which only one unit will be produced, will be unveiled at the Basildon 60th anniversary celebratory event on April 9, and then showcased at exhibitions throughout 2024.
The latest developments at Basildon include significant investment in its role as the New Holland Alternative Fuels Centre of Excellence. In 2006, the firm declared its ambition to be the ‘Clean Energy Leader’ in the tractor sector, and in 2021 put into production at Basildon the industry’s first tractor of its type, the T6.180 Methane Power, to be joined later this year by the T7.270 Methane Power CNG. These developments make possible the Energy Independent Farm, allowing biomethane captured from waste farming products such as livestock manures to be used as fuel.
“We are proud to celebrate 60 years of our plant in Basildon, that well represents the evolution of the New Holland brand, from a manufacturer of agricultural machinery to a company that advances sophisticated software technology for agriculture, fostering the brand leadership on a global level,” said New Holland Brand President Carlo Lambro. “Today Basildon is a hub for innovation, where we produce tractors that are exported worldwide, and a Centre of Excellence for Alternative Fuels, where our T6.180 Methane Power tractor is produced.
“As the only volume tractor producer in the UK, we are also very proud of our workforce here, with their skills, dedication and commitment. It’s a milestone for the whole company and for everyone who works or has worked in the plant.”
