A restored 1982 County 1474 tractor with an estimated sale price of £120,000-£140,000 has sold for a record-breaking £214,400 at a major vintage sale described by auctioneer Cheffins as “bonkers”.

More than 2,800 lots went under the hammer at the sale ground in Sutton, near Ely, and it was the “short nose” blue County that stole the show.

The tractor saw significant presale interest and now holds the record for the most expensive modern classic tractor sold to date, according to Cheffins.

See also: Used County 1474 sells for £196,000 in ‘spectacular’ auction

In July 2021, the auctioneer sold a second-hand 1983 County 1474 for £196,000.

Cheffins’ first vintage sale of 2022, which took place on 22-23 April, grossed more than £2m as buyers flocked to the sale ground from across the UK and Europe.

The Mercedes Benz Trac 1500 fetched £48,240 © Cheffins

Strong market

Oliver Godfrey, head of the machinery department at Cheffins, said: “We knew the April sale was going to be a record-breaker, with a strong catalogue of varied items. However, to sell more than £2m-worth is bonkers.

“The market is alive and well – in fact, it is thriving – as collectors still have cash in the bank which they want to invest in something tangible.”

Mr Godfrey said buyers are looking for tractors that they believe will become the next collector’s piece.

“It appears that at the moment, the market’s bets are mainly focused on Ford variants, such as County and Roadless, which are seeing double-digit price growth year-on-year.”

Nostalgia was another factor, said Mr Godfrey. “Collectors are becoming younger, so the focus in the market is really on tractors and machinery from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s as they look to buy up a part of their youth.”

Also up for sale was Cheffins’ largest motorbike consignment to date, and a large number of automobilia items.