Reflecting on the popular Ford Golden Jubilee

Aug 25, 2016

Released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Ford Motor Company

IN THE SHOP with Rachel

By Rachel Gingell
Farms.com

Earlier this month, my dad was contacted by an old friend who asked us to recommend a tractor to ship to South Africa. The tractor had to be cheap (within a $2,500 budget), easy to repair, reliable, and have enough features to perform basic farm tasks. The Ford NAA was our instant choice - and if you’re looking for the same, you won’t be disappointed.

The Ford NAA gets its name from the serial number designation, but it is more commonly known as the Ford Jubilee or the Golden Jubilee. The NAA was released to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the Ford Motor Company in 1953. Tractors produced for sale in 1953 have a special emblem on the front of their hood which reads “Golden Jubilee Model.” Tractors produced in the following year (1954) have an emblem without these words. The tractors are properly called the Ford NAA but everyone I know calls this model a Jubilee, regardless of the year of production.

Ford Golden Jubilee
Photo: TractorData.com

While the tractor was produced for a short time (September of 1952 through the end of 1954), it was wildly popular. Nearly 130,000 tractors were produced in just over 2 years.

The Jubilee bears a strong resemblance to its predecessor, the Ford 8N, but has many new and improved features. The classic flathead engine of the Ford 8N was replaced with a powerful overhead valve engine. The 32 horsepower, 134 cubic inch engine was so popular it even has its own nickname - The Red Tiger.

Another big change from the classic Ford 8N is the live hydraulics. This greatly increases the usefulness of the tractor! The tractor comes standard with three point hitch. While the Jubilee is not as full-featured as a modern tractor, it has enough bells and whistles to accomplish all sorts of chores on a small farm.

These tractors are very reliable but any tractor this old will need replacement parts every now and then. This is where the Ford Jubilee really shines. With so many tractors produced and still in use today, parts are incredibly plentiful. In addition to being able to find parts at any of the major aftermarket distributors, you can even find parts on the shelves at some auto parts stores! This sort of parts availability is very unusual.

In my area (Michigan), a Jubilee in good working order can be purchased for just $2,500. If you need an entry-level tractor that can get to work on everyday farm chores, the Jubilee might be just what you need!

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