[jeepster]

I was returning from a wedding from Mumbai when i saw this tractor in front of a showroom on National Highway 9 (NH 9).

Looks like Mahindra Gujrat Tractors has silently launched the ols Hindustan tractor in Maharashtra.

Company history.

• The company began in 1959 in Vishwamitri, Vadodara, Gujarat, India as Tractors and Bulldozers Private Ltd and imported tractors.

• Manufacturing of tractors began in 1963, in collaboration Motokov-Praha (Zetor) of Czechoslovakia, and was known as Hindustan Tractors & Bulldozers Ltd.

• In 1967, it became Hindustan Tractors Ltd.

• The tractors were based on the Zetor tractor design and sold under the Hindustan brand.

• In 1967, it became Hindustan Tractors Ltd.

• In 1978, the Gujarat, Indian government formed Gujarat Tractors from the ailing company.

• In 1999, Mahindra Tractors purchased 60% of the company, and in 2001, purchased the remaining 40% of the company, renaming it Mahindra Gujarat Tractors Ltd.

Old Hindustan

New Hindustan

No information about BHP .

New Orchard variant IMO it must be around 20~25 bhp.

Also note that www.mahindragujarat.com is under construction, may be they are updating it.

Rgds,
Nikhil

[mints21]

Mahindra is a big name in tractors. Their competition primarily comes from Escorts, Ford, Swaraj, Eicher, John Dere etc. With this launch, I am sure that they may have plans to target a different segment.

They must have got a very encouraging feedback about this tractor from the old time users. Hence, Mahindra must have thought of reviving this brand once again, instead of utilizing the existing facility for their current range of tractors.

Zeter was known to be a very powerful tractor and I have seen quite a few of them with various farmers.

[directinjection]

Hindustan Tractor was a reputed name in 1970s. Smart of Mahindra not to have altered the tractor's colour and appearance which is exactly the same as before. Are Mahindra using the same engine this time or a different one? The engine block has Mahindra engraved on it.

[narayan]

Originally Posted by mints21

Mahindra is a big name in tractors. Their competition primarily comes from Escorts, Ford, Swaraj, Eicher, John Dere etc.

You missed out the 2nd largest player - TAFE. The rest are all marginal players in the volume game

Edit: maybe you were referring to Eicher as Tafe ( the latter took over the former's tractor business long back )

[chaudh2s]

Up north, we have sonalika, HMT, New holland too which compete with mahindra.
These hindustan ones look like the ones which were shown in "cars". Dumb ol' tractors!

[tharian]

I remember, around 20-25 years back, there used to be similar looking tractors , but much bigger sized, almost the size of a truck that looked quite similar to these Hindustan's that ran in Bangalore East hauling trailers carrying metal/iron loads from Bypanahalli goods yard, which was back then near Old Madras road.

They were a sight to wait for. Wonder if they were of the same make.

[pg83]

What about Massey Ferguson, this brand is doing well in Haryana & Rajasthan ( Telling from my personal experience).

[DWind]

Massey Ferguson and Eicher tractors are now owned by TAFE