Rushton

Rushton_Stapehill06
Rushton at Stapehill Abbey Museum,
Dorset, England in 2006.

Rushton

George Rushton worked as an engineer for the Associated Equipment Co. (AEC) in London. Around 1927 he persuaded his employers to let him design a tractor that would be able to compete with Henry Ford's ubiquitous Fordson. Rushton's first tractor appeared in 1928 as the "General", but this was soon changed to "Rushton". Many parts on the Rushton were interchangeable with those of the Fordson, but it also offered some advantages over the latter, such as a larger radiator, magneto ignition and increased power (almost 24 hp compared to around 21 hp for the Fordson). A number of Rushton conversions were produced by various firms, including a full-track conversion with Roadless tracks, a roller conversion by Taskers and several industrial variants from Muir-Hill. However, sales of the Rushton were not forthcoming, perhaps due to the higher price than the Fordson or the effects of the Depression, and tractor production ended in the mid 1930s.