Poland’s Iron Legend — it came from England! Part 1

This pretty farm tractor type, Ursus C-355 dominated the countryside and, in some extent, also the cities in Poland during the 1970s and early 1980s. Produced under industrial cooperation with Czechoslovakia, it was one of the most sturdy agricultural tractor types ever. It had, however, too high fuel consumption. Therefore the strategic decision was made to introduce the British agricultural machinery in the Polish croplands.

Source of the picture: Polish vintage farm tractors.Ursus C-355 and Ursus C-355M.

https://retrotraktor.pl/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=6036

CC BY-SA 4.0

Poland being a relatively small and weak, but for some reasons very important for Europe country, was never ruled by an extremely cruel and oppressive Communist government team. Especially after the destalinisation of the Soviet made regime, since the year 1956 this very particular nation became the Communism’s new face. After some hesitation the red Kremlin agreed to accept the Polish experiment, only to have a reliable ally in the very important part of Europe. You would say Poland enjoyed the home rule under the Eastern block. Under the experiment, among other things, the private ownership of cropland was allowed, although limited to the small and middle size farms.

The Polish Communist leader Edward Gierek speaks to the Polish people with two giant Polish eagles behind and in the front side, during the Labour Day, May 1, 1974. All these symbols were hardly communist ones. The red colour was the ancient Polish royal purple. Hence it’s justified to call him uncrowned King Edward. Few months later he begun the industrial cooperation with United Kingdom.

(A screenshot from YouTube Video, Edward Gierek, 1 maja 1974)

So, the State and Party leadership was relying on the peasants to feed the people and gain some surpluses in agricultural production for the export

A small but efficient and reliable agricultural machine was badly needed to do the work on the farms more effectively than whole soars of strong and healthy men. Simply because the most of the men leaved the countryside to work in the factories, mainly because of much better housing quality in the cities.

The Massey Ferguson machinery could suite every Polish farmer

... also by cutting the time wasted for repairs and reducing their costs. Small but powerful, unbelievably versatile and of long range because of reduced fuel consumption the Ferguson' tractors had no match throughout the world.

The employees of Massey Ferguson Banner Lane factory in the city of Coventry, England, had much work to do and needed good technical skills to perform their duties on a proper way. The Polish handymen in Ursus, Warsaw and elsewhere needed a lot of time to understand what is that all about.

(Screenshot from YouTube video; Banner Lane Factory From 1946 Until The 300 Series)

At first stage of license agreement negotiations there was already strong opposition from the ranks of Ursus’ engineers. They had their own project and their own views but...

The dominant historical verdict in Poland is that the imposed on Ursus works cooperation with the leading in the field of agricultural machinery production Western corporation was an economic time bomb, and even that it was another betrayal by the West. The true is, however, very different! The managers of Massey Ferguson agreed to bring to Poland one of the world's most thoroughly thought industrial and commercial packages.

As an established and major force in the highly competitive Northern American and European, also Asian and African agricultural machinery business Massey Ferguson developed also special techniques for lowering the costs of producing the tractors and keeping their prices low. The managers in Coventry offered all needed supplies of materials, the technical expertise and consulting services, the most favourable terms of help in the export of future tractors and engines surpluses from Poland. As well as at the planning and establishing the chains of deliveries from Polish contractors. The Britons agreed to take care of everything, if needed, and demanded only loyal cooperation in exchange! Oh my goodness! Gierek’s advisers insisted: Only short-term thinkers could regard that all as a too much expensive capital expenditure.

In the year 1974 the Polish Communist leader was most seriously warned by his chief economic advisor about the danger posed by consequences of oil price shock

The flagship of the Polish exports, the limousine Fiat 125P became much too costly in regard to its fuel consumption. According to this advisor all new licensed technical solutions bought in the West should be much more economical in regard to energy and fuels consumption than this doubtful, started five years earlier cooperation with Italians in the automotive industry. Otherwise a general disaster of Polish national economy would be impossible to avoid.

The Polish leader made immediately attempts to acknowledge this condition laying his plans for further nation’s development

To every bean counter in the notebook: The comparable Toyota Corolla model was also economical in terms of gasoline consumption, with 6 liters per 100 kilometers. In this regard the big Polish Fiat was a disaster: 10 liters per 100 kilometers. For fuel economy sake the drafted before the energy crisis the new Polish tractors family had to be rejected as too expensive for its future users. Soviet Union made it crystal clear; after 5 years time of grace the price for the Russian crude oil for Poland will be radically raised. On the other hand the new, efficient energy technologies were only occasionally sold to the satellite states of Soviet Union under the licensed technology transfer.

The British offer, being unusually beneficial also in regard of Ferguson’s vehicles fuel consumption, seemed to be an unique opportunity for Poland

The whole project was very advanced one, especially considering the conditions of Eastern Europe. It needed a lot of money and hard work, but the major principle of Massey Ferguson machinery designs was to give the maximum advantage for the host country for its money allocated for new production facilities as well as for British advisors payments.

Unfortunately, there was the third side who watched the whole situation. Someone who wanted Polish and British workers to be deprived of their jobs and finally had to whip of helpless vexation

However, this in the next part of this amazing and at the same time frightening story. Unfortunately, the history is not a merciful mother but an unmerciful and wicked witch who likes to watch bad boys cry bitterly and as they could kicked themselves.