The snowmobile line sold until 1977, when sales declined. Starting in 1969, Massey Ferguson started producing a line of snowmobiles by the name Ski Whiz. Massey sold its interest to Nissan in 1980. Ebro had previously built Ford Tractors under license, but now began building models for Massey, and Massey models under license. In 1966, Massey purchased 32% of the Spanish tractor and auto company Ebro, or Motor Iberica. The Turkish company Uzel was licensed to produce MF tractors in 1962, expanding MF's reach into the Middle East. Also in 1959, Massey Ferguson purchased the Standard Motor Company's tractor manufacturing facilities, which had assembled Ferguson tractors. ARGO and AGCO still provide models to one another. Massey sold 66% to ARGO SpA in 1989, some to Iseki later on, and the final portion was sold to AGCO in 2000. Landini has built many models for Massey over the years, especially vineyard and crawler models.
In 1959, Massey bought 100% of Landini, based in Italy. Variety Corp eventually spun Perkins off into a separate company. The Perkins Engine company was a major supplier of engines to Massey Ferguson, and they bought them out in January 1959, with Frank Perkins continuing to work for the company until 1962. Also in 1955, Massey-Harris-Ferguson signed a seven-year agreement with the Belgrade, Yugoslavian company IMT for IMT to build licensed-Massey Ferguson tractors and equipment for the Eastern European market, as well as for export elsewhere. Founded in 1915 by Hugh Victor McKay, they had tie-ups with Massey Harris for several years before MF bought them outright. In 1955, Massey purchased the Australian company Sunshine. Facing increasing international competition and an agricultural sector diminishing in importance, the firm began to struggle. But the company soon began to decline financially. In 1953, the company merged with the Ferguson Company to become Massey-Harris-Ferguson, before finally taking on its current name in 1958. The Massey family used their fortune to improve the city of Toronto, and many institutions, such as the University of Toronto, Upper Canada College, Crescent School, Appleby College, Massey Hall and Metropolitan United Church, were partially financed by the Masseys. Other members of the family went on to do other accomplishments: Vincent Massey became Governor General of Canada and Raymond Massey became a noted actor in American films. They were, however, the last generation of Masseys to run the company. Hart Massey's sons, Charles, Chester, Walter, and Fred became closely involved in the business and eventually took over its operations.
Massey-Harris also produced one of the world's first four-wheel drive tractors. In the 1930s, it introduced the first self-propelled combine harvester. In 1910, the company opened a factory in the United States, making it one of Canada's first multinational firms. and became the largest agricultural equipment maker in the British Empire. A labour shortage throughout the country also helped to make the firm's mechanized equipment very attractive.Ī Massey-Harris 201 at Newby Hall in 2008 It is reputed that the firm owed much of its success to Canadian tariffs that prevented the larger American firms from competing in Canada.
Through extensive advertising campaigns he made it one of the most well known brands in Canada. Massey expanded the company and began to sell its products internationally. West became one of the best known features of the city. The massive collections of factories on King St. and in 1879 moved the company to Toronto where it soon became one of the city's leading employers. The firm was taken over and expanded by his eldest son Hart Almerrin Massey who renamed it the Massey Manufacturing Co. The company began making some of the world's first mechanical threshers, first by assembling parts from the United States and eventually designing and building their own equipment. The firm originated in 1847 in Newcastle, Ontario by Daniel Massey as the Newcastle Foundry and Machine Manufactures.