In the fall of 1965, we thought we’d handle another product. It was the model 100 four-wheel-drive tractor. I’d been fascinated by the possibility of producing an inexpensive, four-wheel-drive tractor for several years and we’d kicked around its potential. The trick would be to design one that wouldn’t be a luxury. To mass-produce such a machine was a radical move. The majors were saying that four-wheel-drives were unwarranted but what they were really saying was that they were timid. Their decision makers were unwilling to take risks. Innovation was restricted by their ponderous system of justification.
Peter Pakosh (June 11, 1911 – February 20, 1999) was co-founder of the Versatile tractor company, and is credited with many inventions and equipment innovations including the modern-day grain auger used by combine harvesters. He is considered an innovator in the field of agricultural machinery on a level with John Deere and Cyrus McCormick. Versatile was the first company to mass-produce articulated four-wheel drive tractors.