Europe's largest vintage machinery sale held by Cheffins

The tractor section saw an 80 per cent sale rate of the 250 tractors entered, with later classic examples achieving some of the highest prices on the day.

The top price paid was £40,736 for a 1979 County 1174 which was originally from Stansted Airport, had 705 hours on the clock, and was sold to a buyer from the West Country.

This was followed by a 1989 Ford 7810 Silver Jubilee which sold for £31,088 and a well-presented 1974 Massey Ferguson 1200 which made £25,728.

In addition, a 1968 Roadless 115 made £19,296 and a 1988 Ford 7810 sold for £17,688.

The post-war tractors also saw some strong prices, such as a 1952 Fordson E27N Major with a Selene 4WD conversion which made £16,112.

The 1952 Fordson E27N Major

Bill King, chairman of Cheffins, said: “This was an absolute belter of a sale, with a crowd of eager, lockdown-freed buyers bidding both online and at the sale ground.

"We saw buyers old and new from across the UK all flocking to Cheffins for a slice of normality on a sunny day, and with cash in the bank following lockdown, there was lively bidding across all sections of the auction.

"We can see from the results that the later classic tractors continue to be in vogue, with some heady prices paid for the best and most well-kept examples from the 1970s and 1980s.

"However, we did also have some particularly fantastic earlier tractors on offer, with an immaculate Fordson E27N ensuring that not all attention was on the modern classics. ”

The commercial vehicle section also saw some strong bidding with one the last remaining J Lyons & Co tea lorries still in existence selling for £26,800.

Built in 1927 and with only two owners from new, the lorry has been a multiple winner at the London to Brighton run and was sold to a private UK-based buyer.

One the last remaining J Lyons & Co tea lorries

Similarly, a one owner from new 1957 Series 1 Land Rover, needing full restoration, sold for £16,616.

Among the earlier examples, a 1909 Merryweather/Pope Hartford fire engine in need of renovation sold for £19,296 whilst a 1939 Marshall RC road roller made £23,369.

Proving the appetite for the restoration market, a 1978 Volvo F86 tractor unit for spares sold for £11,148.

1957 Series 1 Land Rover

Hosted at the firm’s sale ground in Sutton, near Ely, on April 24, the auction grossed more than £1.3million.