On a secluded farm not far from Whakatane is a tractor which, nearly 100 years ago, played an important role in Britain’s war effort.

The story of a 1917 International Titan tractor, one of probably only seven in New Zealand, is even more remarkable because it has been owned by the same family for nearly a century.

John couch has restored this 1928 Stewart 11/4ton truck.

The grandfather of current owner, John Couch, bought the Titan at the end of World War 1, after being leased the tractor to cultivate his and other local farmers’ land to grow crops by bringing extra land into cultivation to produce more food for civilians and troops.

“During the First World War about 3000 Titan tractors were shipped to Britain from America on the ‘Lease Lend’ system to be used by farmers to work the land to grow food and crops,” says John.

“They were leased to farmers on the understanding that they used the tractors on their own farms and their neighbours’ too. At the end of the war my grandfather was given the option of buying the Titan.”

Threshing machine

John’s grandfather was an arable and stock farmer in Hertfordshire and among other roles, the Titan was used to operate a threshing machine threshing wheat, barley, oats and clover.

John, who remembers playing on the old tractor as a child, didn’t follow the family farming tradition but trained as an engineer when he left school. His father died in 1958, but it wasn’t until the early-1970s that John thought to ask where the Titan was.

The 1917 International Titan tractor and is driven by two oversized chains similar to those used on push bikes.

He was talking to his Uncle about old tractors and the Titan came up. John said it was a pity it was sold at the farm sale, but his uncle said it had been lent it to a man at a local agricultural engineers who said he would restore it.

It took a while for John to track it down and when he did, he found it was dismantled and some parts were missing. John set about reassembling and restoring the Titan, a project which took 28 years.

New home

Ten years ago, when John and New Zealand born wife Gayle decided to move to New Zealand, the Titan, by then fully operational, was loaded into the container with all their household goods for shipment to their new home.

Manufactured at the International Milwaukee Works, the Titan has a two-cylinder horizontal engine, a transmission with two forward speeds and runs on kerosene.

It takes two hands to swing the handle to crank the Titan into life and once fired up, the ride is slow and not too uncomfortable.

“It travels at about two-and-a-half miles an hour forward and slightly faster backwards,” says John.

This 1917 International Titan tractor has been in Jim Couch’s family for nearly 100 years.

The tractor doesn’t have tyres, but steel wheels with strakes and is driven by two oversized chains similar to those used on push bikes.

John’s Titan is frequently on display at machinery shows, often teamed up with a Tangye pump of similar age to create a working demonstration of both machines. As well as the Titan and the Tangye, John also has a 1928 Stewart 11/4ton truck he’s restored.

While old machinery and vehicles are John’s hobby, John and Gayle also run a pedigree Red Devon stud on their 40ha property near Matata.

The Titan is frequently on display at machinery shows, often teamed up with a Tangye pump of similar age to create a working demonstration of both machines.