Basically, Harry Ferguson invented the hydraulic three-point hitch and Ford agreed to put it on a new tractor. Earlier the depression in agriculture had forced the closure of the US Fordson factory but Henry had hankered to resume tractor manufacture and a new Ford model was well developed by 1938. It was agreed that the tractors would carry a Ferguson insignia (see photo). Called the "Ferguson System", this three-point hitch was put together using a combination of linkage (three different linkage points, two on the bottom and one on top) and hydraulics. Up to that point the farmer had to use complicated ways to link the tractor to the implement. With the Ferguson System they need only back up to the implement, hook it up, raise it with the hydraulics and set off.
Ford’s prototype was rapidly re-developed to accept the Ferguson System and by 1939 the tractor complete with the first three-point hitch was ready. It was developed as a versatile all-purpose tractor for the small farm and was to prove exceedingly popular. Credit for the design and engineering brilliance of the new tractor can be attributed to Charles E. Sorenson and his Ford Motor Co. development team. Ferguson was only involved in integrating his system into the Sorenson design. Incidentally, Draft Control was only made to work by Ford’s engineers; it seems that the ‘modern tractor’ with the Firestone pneumatic tyres was a different proposition, in Draft Control’ terms, to the Ferguson Brown model ‘A’ with it’s steel lugged wheels. The 9N, as it became known, exhibited many of the features that form the basis of today’s tractors. It was the first modern tractor.Over a period of time the 9N went through subtle changes almost every year of production. For example, in 1939 the grille had horizontal bars and the steering box, grille, battery box, hood, instrument panel and transmission cover were made of cast-aluminium. It had snap-on radiator and fuel caps. In 1940 these caps were changed to the hinged type. In 1941 they changed the grill to steel with vertical bars. By the end of 1941 they had made so many changes, and had so many more ideas for changes, that they changed the name of the tractor to the "Ford 2N".
Henry Ford’s son Edsel, who had been the Ford President since 1919, died un-expectedly in 1943 and Henry had to return as President. Old Henry soon started loosing control to his so called Security Manager Harry Bennett. In 1945 Henry stepped down as President and nominated Bennett as his preferred successor much to the dismay of the rest of the Ford family board members. Bennett was basically Henry Ford’s thug, his union fixer. Finally after intense family pressure Edsel’s son, Henry Ford II (see photo) who was actually a serving naval officer at the time, was summoned to Henry Ford’s office and informed that he was going to be the new president of the Ford Motor Company. One of Henry Ford II first acts in regaining control was to tell Bennett his services were no longer required. Afterwards, he went to his Grandfather to inform him of his decision: "I went to him with my guard up. I was sure he was going to blow my head off." Old Henry nonchalantly said "Well, now Harry is back on the streets were he started."
Another decision involved taking control of the marketing rights for the tractors which had been given to Ferguson in the Handshake Deal. The Deal with Ferguson was unilaterally terminated and although the Ferguson System was used, the Ferguson Insignia was not carried on the next line of Ford tractors the 8N.
