Dr Ferdinand Porsche's design consultancy built a handful of prototype tractors prior to WW2, the first of which were powered by petrol engines, before turning to diesel power, eventually developing a series of one-, two-, three- and four-cylinder air-cooled engines ranging in output from 14 to 55bhp.

After the war's end Porsche was barred from producing its own tractors (only companies that had been making tractors prior to and during the war were permitted to do so) and thus was forced to license its designs to other manufacturers.

In 1954 Mannesmann AG diversified into tractor manufacture by acquiring the rights to Porsche's engine and Allgaier GmbH's tractor design, setting up Porsche-Diesel Motorenbau GmbH.

In 1956 Mannesmann built a new manufacturing facility at the old Zeppelin factory in Friedrichshafen-Manzell where Porsche tractors continued to be built until production ceased.

Over 125,000 tractors were manufactured between 1956 and 1963, many of which were exported, Por...