Caterpillar Tractor Company formed in 1925, due to a merger of the Holt Manufacturing Company and C.L. Best Tractor Company. Amongst the first tractors they produced was the Caterpillar Thirty, which had previously been the Best 30.
After the merger, Caterpillar adopted Holt's colour scheme of grey and red. The company again changed the colour of their tractors in 1931, in an effort to stimulate sales during the Depression. The new ‘Hi-Way Yellow' was also more visible and later became known as ‘Caterpillar Yellow'.
Crawler tractors such as this tended to be expensive and not many were imported into New Zealand. Only eighteen Caterpillar Thirties entered the country between 1925 and 1928. Tractors were considered new technology at the time, and most farmers were still using horses to pull their farm implements. By 1929, there were 3377 tractors in New Zealand.
Specifications
Type
Crawler Tractor
Manufacturer
Caterpillar Tractor Company
Model
Thirty
Country Manufactured
United States
In service
1925-31
Engine
4 cylinder, petrol
RPM
850 rpm
Horsepower
30 HP
Gearbox
3 forward gears, 1 reverse
