This is certainly the least sporting Porsche model in my collection! Ferdinand Porsche designed an advanced tractor for use by German farmers in the 1930s at the same time as he was working on his "people's car" which eventually was to become the VW Beetle. In 1934 three prototype Porsche tractors with petrol engines were built, but did not enter production.
After WWII, Porsche licensed the design of his tractors and a new air-cooled diesel engine to the German firm Mannesmann AG who started production of a range of Porsche designed and branded tractors in 1956. Mannesmann converted the old Zeppelin factory just west of Friedrichshafen on Lake Konstanz into a state of the art manufacturing facility for the new tractor line. Porsche-Diesel tractors were produced in this facility until the end of 1963 by a division of Mannesmann AG, called Porsche-Diesel Motorenbau GmbH. Between 1956 and 1963 over 125,000 Porsche Tractors were produced at the new facility.
Production of the Porsche tractor line ended in 1963 as the factory was taken over by MTU-Daimler for production of large diesel engines for NATO tanks. The last few were assembled in the open air outside the factory in 1964 as there was no room for them inside the factory.
The four models that made up the Porsche-Diesel tractor line up were the Junior with a 14hp engine, the Standard with a 25hp engine, the Super (represented by this model) with a 38hp engine and the Master with a 50hp engine. Schuco make a 1:18th diecast model of the Porsche-Diesel Junior which from what I've seen is a comparable model to this model by Minichamps.
The Super had a three cylinder air cooled diesel engine and was an advanced design in it's day, with hydraulically operated controls for the transmission and the rear machinery coupling.
This model introduced in 2004 was Minichamps first tractor in 1:18th scale. It has since been joined by several other tractors in 1:18th from Minichamps and Schuco, making an interesting alternative from the more usual sports and racing cars that most 1:18th collections tend to consist of. I think it is one of their better models to date with good engine detail, accurate bodywork and wheels and realistic looking lights, seats and steering wheel. As all my models are in storage at present (August 2006) awaiting a house move, I'm not able to compile an accurate ratings score for this model, but I will do so once I properly examine the model after we move house. In general it is an above average model in most respects.
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