New Zealand’s agricultural heritage has created a community of vintage tractor collectors who preserve the machinery that shaped the nation’s farming. From collections housed in rugby-field-sized sheds to displays of pre-war machinery, these six collectors maintain agricultural history in Aotearoa.
1. Allan Dippie – The Wānaka Machinery Magnate
- Location: Wānaka, South Island.
- Collection size: Approximately 300 tractors.
- Specialty: Ferguson Brown, Saunderson, early British and New Zealand models.
- Active since: 2017.
Allan Dippie’s collection stands as New Zealand’s largest private assembly of vintage tractors, a remarkable achievement built in just eight years. The property developer and founder of the renowned Wheels at Wānaka machinery festival transformed his passion into an institution that draws thousands of visitors biennially.
Dippie’s collection showcases some of the rarest agricultural machinery in the Southern Hemisphere. Among his prized possessions is a 1916 R&P tractor and one of only six Ferguson Brown prototypes ever manufactured. These machines are housed in two massive storage facilities, each roughly the size of a rugby field, creating what amounts to a cathedral of agricultural engineering.
The rapid growth of his collection — from a single tractor to 300 in less than a decade — eventually necessitated difficult decisions. In 2025, Dippie auctioned 116 tractors through Gibson Auctions, acknowledging the practical limits of maintaining such an extensive collection while ensuring these historical machines would find new custodians who would continue their preservation.
2. Paul Devcich – The John Deere Specialist
- Location: Matamata, Waikato.
- Collection size: 50+ tractors.
- Specialty: John Deere models from the 1960s–1980s.
- Active since: 1980s.
As a fourth-generation farmer, Paul Devcich brings both agricultural heritage and mechanical expertise to his collection of American-built John Deere tractors. His focus on row-crop and utility models from the 1960s through 1980s captures a pivotal era when farming mechanization reached new levels of sophistication.
Devcich’s collection stands out for its mechanical authenticity. He personally restores each machine, ensuring that fully rebuilt U.S.-built Deere models including the 2510, 4020, and various D-series tractors maintain their original specifications. Farm Trader NZ has featured his work, praising both the depth of his restoration knowledge and the mechanical accuracy he achieves.
His tractors are not museum pieces gathering dust. Devcich regularly participates in regional vintage tractor rallies and frequently opens his collection for local charity events and machinery exhibitions, sharing his passion with the broader community.
3. Anthony Hampton – Guardian of Massey Heritage
- Location: Mid Canterbury.
- Collection size: Approximately 50 tractors.
- Specialty: Massey Harris and Massey Ferguson pre-1950 models.
- Active since: 1970s.
With nearly five decades of collecting experience, Anthony Hampton has established himself as New Zealand’s foremost authority on Massey brand lineage. His collection tells the story of one of agriculture’s most significant manufacturers, preserving machines that defined farming across the Commonwealth.
Hampton’s assemblage includes several rare Massey Harris Pacemaker models from 1938–39 and Model 744D diesel tractors that represent the transition to more efficient power sources. Unlike some collectors who focus purely on preservation, Hampton maintains his machines in operational condition, regularly displaying them during Ashburton Vintage Machinery Club field days.
His commitment extends beyond ownership to scholarship. Hampton is recognized locally not just as a collector but as a historian who preserves the Canadian and British Massey heritage that shaped New Zealand agriculture.
4. Roger Mahan – Keeper of the Oldest Iron
- Location: Milton, South Otago.
- Collection size: 20+ tractors and early farm implements.
- Specialty: Pre-WWI and interwar tractors.
- Active since: 1990s.
Roger Mahan’s collection takes visitors back to agriculture’s earliest mechanical age. The contractor and long-time vintage machinery exhibitor specializes in pre-World War I and interwar tractors, including International Titan, Case, and McCormick models that represent the pioneering days of motorized farming.
The crown jewel of Mahan’s collection is his 1910 International Titan D — one of the oldest operational tractors in New Zealand. Maintaining such ancient machinery in working condition requires extraordinary mechanical skill and dedication to sourcing or fabricating parts that may not have been manufactured for over a century.
Mahan regularly shares his collection with the public, exhibiting at prestigious events like Wheels at Wānaka and South Otago Heritage Days. Regional media frequently interview him about his restoration projects, recognizing him as a living link to New Zealand’s agricultural past.
5. Bruce Leonard – The Fordson Engineer
- Location: Waikato.
- Collection size: 40 tractors.
- Specialty: Ford and Fordson models 1920–1960.
- Active since: 1980s.
Bruce Leonard’s engineering background gives him a unique advantage in his specialized focus on Ford and Fordson tractors. His collection spans four decades of Fordson production, capturing the evolution of one of farming’s most ubiquitous brands.
Leonard has assembled a complete line of Fordson Major and Super Major models produced between 1945 and 1963, documenting the post-war modernization of British tractor manufacturing. His technical expertise allows him to perform full engine and sheet-metal restoration himself, maintaining the authenticity that collectors prize.
As an active participant in the Waikato Vintage Tractor and Machinery Club, Leonard contributes his knowledge to the broader vintage machinery community, helping others understand the technical intricacies of Fordson restoration.
6. Doug Wither – The Pioneer Collector
- Location: Maungatua, Otago.
- Collection size: 30 tractors plus trucks and classic cars.
- Specialty: Mixed brands, including David Brown and Ferguson.
- Active since: Over 50 years.
Doug Wither represents the first generation of New Zealand’s “old iron” collectors, having assembled his collection over more than half a century. The former hauler and machinery dealer witnessed firsthand the transformation of agricultural equipment and recognized the historical value of preserving these machines.
Wither’s collection encompasses half a century of rural mechanization, spanning multiple brands and eras. His broader assemblage includes not just tractors but also trucks and classic cars, reflecting a comprehensive interest in vintage mechanical transportation.
When Wither conducted a major estate auction, it drew buyers from across the nation, testament to both the quality of his collection and his standing within the vintage machinery community. He remains a respected figure among collectors who recognize the foundational role played by pioneers like Wither in establishing New Zealand’s vintage tractor preservation movement.
Preserving Agricultural Heritage
These six collectors represent more than individual passion projects — they are custodians of New Zealand’s agricultural history. Through their dedication to acquisition, restoration, and public display, they ensure that future generations can appreciate the mechanical ingenuity that transformed farming from manual labor to motorized efficiency.
From Dippie’s massive Wānaka facility to Mahan’s operational century-old Titan, from Devcich’s precisely restored Deeres to Hampton’s Massey lineage, these collections tell the story of how
New Zealand farmers conquered the land with increasingly sophisticated machinery. They remind us that behind every rural landscape transformed by agriculture lies a history of mechanical innovation worth preserving.
