Machine Read: New Edition of Red Tractors 1958–2022 Features Fantastic New Images

The definitive guide to the history of International Harvester and Case IH tractors is newly revised and reformatted into a compact, 8×8-inch, easy-to-read volume. The expanded third edition (dig it here with photos!) covers red tractors built from 1958 to 2022 and features new photography and minor updates to the text.

The featured addition to this volume is new studio photography of some of the incredible machines present at the 2019 Half Century of Progress Show in Rantoul, IL. At the show, author Lee Klancher built a 30×40-foot photographic studio. He and his crew photographed dozens of the best machines at the show, including the gorgeous International 1568 on the cover, a beautifully restored International 1206 prototype, and much more. The book is beautifully illustrated with more than 700 images, including never-before-seen concept drawings, prototype and archival images, as well as the new photographs of restored and original condition models.

Along with the stunning new photography, the new edition offers readers a fresh look at their favorite machines in a new format. Authored by Lee Klancher and a team of experienced machine authors, the book covers how the International Harvester (IH) and Farmall tractors of the 1960s to the 1980s were built and the dramatic story of the end of IH.

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Interviews with engineers and company executives combined with intense research shine a light on the market forces and crushing debt that took down International Harvester. The book discusses the leadership mistakes made beginning in the 1950s as well as how the company steadily lost ground in the 1960s.

A fascinating account of the revitalization of the 1970s includes an intimate look at how Brooks McCormick put the company on the right path as well as how former Xerox executive Archie McCardell mingled good ideas (increased R&D money) with miserable leadership (personally overseeing labor relations). The merger is also covered as never before, with first-person accounts of the difficult transition from IH to Case IH.

A central portion of the book is the creation of the Magnum, the red tractor that changed the industry and saved the company. Modern red tractors are also included with detailed stories of the creation of the Quadtrac as well as the beautifully designed MX series Magnums.

With contributions from Gregg Montgomery, the industrial designer who drew IH and Case IH tractors for decades, and Dr. Glenn W. Kahle, the engineer who oversaw the introduction of the 50 series as well as the creation of the Magnum, this 384-page book provides an unprecedented look at red tractors of the past 60 years.

For release on July 1, 2022, Red Tractors 1958-2022 is available from octanepress.com and anywhere books are sold.