 Oliver 1600 Prototype Tractor Three years before it hit the market, the Oliver 1600 existed as a prototype tractor in 1959. The 1600 was an extension of the model 1800 and 1900 new line of Oliver tractors that were released in 1960. Take a close look at the pictures of the 1600 prototype tractors paying attention to the engine! Although the production models of the 1600 where equipped with the traditional Waukesha six cylinder engine, the prototypes had a 4 cylinder engine under the hood. The engine was "2/3" of the Oliver 1800 engine (283 cubic inch Waukesha diesel) meaning it used 4 cylinders instead of 6. Likely, this small of an engine (approximately 189 cubic inches) was drastically underpowered for the size of the 1600 and was later upgraded during testing to the six cylinder engine found in production models of 1962. It is believed 12 of the 1600 prototypes were built and tested - two of them are shown in the picture below.  A rare color picture of the 1600 prototype - although it is missing the decal for the 1600. The prototype 4 cylinder engine can been seen in the tractor. Production Model When the Oliver 1600 was debuted in late 1962, the 4 cylinder prototype engine had been upgraded to the six cylinder engine shown below. Additionally, the "checkerboard" decal seen on the prototype 1600 tractors that matched the early production 1800 and 1900 tractors had been replaced by the Oliver "spear" badge that was used all the way through the 55 series Oliver tractors.   The Oliver "Low Profile" Prototype Tractor If you are at all familiar with Oliver or White tractors, you might be wondering what the heck you are looking at! Well, this image is a prototype of what would become the the White 4-150 from June 1973. At the time, White Farm Equipment owned Oliver and Minneapolis-Moline and was in the process of merging the two lines into one new tractor line - the White Field Boss tractors. The first White tractor to debut was the White Field Boss 4-150 in 1974. This prototype for the 4-150 tractor is shown in Oliver themed makeup - meadow green paint, clover white wheels, and the gold/black accent decals found on the 55 series tractors. These were known as the "Oliver low profile" prototype tractor. Interestingly enough, the hood displays a Field Boss decal - a name that would make it on the White tractors. But the silver paint scheme, hood design, and grill shape of the Field Boss line are all missing from this prototype. At least 2 of these prototypes were built. According to Oliver historian Wayne Wiltse, one tractor was serial number X-677 with Cat 3150 engine number 97M2275 and another was X-692 with Cat 3150 engine number 97M2728. A key engineer in the design of this tractor was Mike Verhulst. He began developing the A4T articulated four wheel drive concept in 1969. Later, he also was involved and did a lot of work on the legendary Corporate Tractor in 1970. Whether these prototype's paint scheme and styling was an intentional disguise before the "official reveal" or one last final attempt by some of the Charles City plant's faithful to hold onto the meadow green color, the answer is probably lost to time like too many other stories from the "Finest in Farm Machinery."  An earlier version of the Oliver "low profile" tractor which would become the White 4-150. This picture shows it in the traditional Oliver paint scheme and even wears the Oliver keystone logo on the grill. Photo Credit: Wayne Wiltse  Pictures of the build of one of the prototype "low profile" tractors. It is believe at least 2 of these machines were built for prototype testing. Photo Credit: Wayne Wiltse White Field Boss 4-150 Tractor  White kicked off its White Field Boss line of tractors with a four wheel drive model known as the 4-150. This articulated tractor was powered by a Caterpiller V-8 diesel engine rated at 150 hp. It served as a replacement for the four wheel drive tractor model White Motors had manufacturing and selling as the Oliver 2655, MM A4T-1600, and the Canadian sold White Plainsman A4T-1600. White continued to add tractors to the Field Boss line and discontinue Oliver and Minneapolis Moline branded tractors over the next 2 years. In 1976, the final Oliver tractor bearing the meadow green paint was produced ending a 75 year run of tractors wearing green paint as the left the plant in Charles City.
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AuthorJim Fitzgerald Archives
September 2025
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