A flurry of immaculately restored classic Fords was the main attraction for many machinery enthusiasts at James L Murtagh Auctioneers’ recent plant and machinery auction at the Mullingar Business Park, Co Westmeath.

With 150 lots up for grabs, the midlands auction attracted bidders from across Ireland and overseas, with most of the attention focused on the restored tractors and the plant equipment, much of which was sold to England.

Some of the standout lots included four immaculately restored Ford tractors, all shod on new tyres. A Ford 7810 and 8210 were both eventually knocked down to the highest bidders at €33,500 each, while a 1975-built Ford 7600 fetched €25,000. The 1976 Ford 7000 went unsold at €31,000.

The auction was conducted in a hybrid manner, with bidding available in person and online through the LSL platform. The majority of the lots came from two vendors, and a 70% clearance rate was achieved on the day.

Padraig Murtagh said after the auction: “There was a great demand for the restored tractors and the plant equipment, while some of the out of season agricultural implements weren’t as sought after. A lot of the diggers were sold to English buyers, with the long lead times on new equipment driving demand. We had over 200 registered online bidders and a large crowd of bidders were also present at the auction.”

This immaculate restored Ford 7810 sold for €33,500 plus commission (no VAT).

This lovely example of a 1992 Ford 8210 was sold for €33,500 plus commission (no VAT).

This pristine restored 1976 Ford 7000 was bid to €31,000, but failed to sell.

This 1975 built Ford 7600 fetched €25,000 plus commission (no VAT).

This reconditioned Massey Ferguson 188 Multipower was bid to €14,000 but failed to sell.

This 2,000-gallon Conor slurry tanker sold for €7,000 plus commission and VAT.

This 2018 Kubota U48-4 had 1,200 hours and c/w two buckets. It sold for €35,000 plus commission and VAT.

This John Deere Gator had 1,100 hours and sold for €5,500 plus commission and VAT.

This 2,500-gallon Conor slurry tanker sold for €5,400 plus commission and VAT.

This 1943 McCormick International sold for €3,000 plus commission (no VAT).

This restored 1970 Massey Ferguson 168 was bid to €9,000 but failed to sell.