Challenger Advertisement

Just picked up the recent Tractorhouse magazine.  There was a Challenger Ad in there that shows MT600C discing.  Below that it says "It just might become your new FAVORITE COLOR" (the last two were in about 1"-1.5" letters)  Then below that in smaller print it says: "The new MT600C series - You buy equipment based on performance - not color.  Thats why we built the new MT600C Series.  These tractors are.........."

Edited by Sandknob - 12 Feb 2011 at 9:41pm

What is really interesting is AGCO still does not own the Challenger name. Only used by licensing from CAT. Pitting your future on a "borrowed" name.

 Color doesn't matter, see all the people who were buying 4 orange tractors for every red AND yellow Agco now buy green, blue or that other shade of red.

I suspect the ad is aimed at people owning red, green, or blue tractors as they are the customers AGCO is now going after.

I see on the Farm Journal website that AGCO is pushing the Fendt 800 series tractors in North America.  Kinda makes you wonder what they are really thinking, if they are thinking at all.

AGCO bought and owns the "Challenger" name from Caterpillar....that is a fact. They can plant that name on any equipment they want to.....they OWN it.

Dr. Allis
No one knows the details of the deal that AGCO made with Challenger back in 2002, at least no one outside of AGCO upper management.  Most AGCO dealers I've talked to over the years were frustrated with the equipment that Challenger dealers got versus them.  There's still a lot of hard feelings between those two groups IMO.

With that being said.  I don't know if anyone knows if AGCO owns the "Challenger" name or not.  Most articles from 2002 say they bought it but if you look at AGCO's website:
http://www.challenger-ag.com/NA/EN/default.aspx
It says on there "Cat, Caterpillar and Challenger are registered trademarks of Caterpillar Inc. and used under license by AGCO."

That says to me that AGCO does not own the Challenger name they only use it under license from Challenger.

Wouldn't it be cute if Cat decided to rescind that name from AGCO?  LOL

Daehler wrote: I saw that article in that too. It kinda makes a person mad when they discontinued the orange, then push that crappy red and yellow colors on you and then they want you to buy a puke green color tractor when the other ones dont sell. They are going to make American tractors again (that should be orange) but are wanting you to buy one that is shipped in again. Thats smart

Edited by redline - 11 Feb 2011 at 10:59am

Lonn wrote: Claus wrote:    painting them orange will not make them Allis Chalmers either.  Orange tractors died in 1985, the rest are just imitations anyways. From a collectors points of view that is very true but from the point of view of those who own and farm with orange AGCO tractors they just lost resale when their brand was killed.

Sorry, but if you want resale buy John Deere.

DrAllis wrote: AGCO bought and owns the "Challenger" name from Caterpillar....that is a fact. They can plant that name on any equipment they want to.....they OWN it.

JohnCO wrote: I see on the Farm Journal website that AGCO is pushing the Fendt 800 series tractors in North America.  Kinda makes you wonder what they are really thinking, if they are thinking at all.

I feel as if they haven't just tossed a rock at the hornets nest, they've climbed the tree and punched it.....

I,m with ya Dave ;Agco screwed up with the Challlenger line and the big tractor market  ; when they got it going I thought it would be a great line of high horsepower tract tractors and 4 wheel drives - Agco already had the AGCO STAR  build on it with some CAT tech  , they messed around not hearing much out of them ;then AGCOSTAR,s gone ; then a new line of small to mid size tractors come out named CHALLENGER ??? WTF ?? Whats a Challenger ? CAT  couldnt make it go in the AG  market ; how can AGCO ? A pucky yellow new tractor when you already have two solid tractor lines going good , ORANGE and RED , that people know and will buy  ; All Ive heard from folks is Agco is good at one thing ; screwing up ; taking alot of potential and watching it smolder in the road being run over by Deere, CIH, NH,  and Kubota ; you would think an outfit like Agco would be ontop sales and marketing ; their managment is just wasting what could be a great company ; once again ; its a joke to say the least 

Claus wrote: Lonn wrote: Claus wrote:    painting them orange will not make them Allis Chalmers either.  Orange tractors died in 1985, the rest are just imitations anyways. From a collectors points of view that is very true but from the point of view of those who own and farm with orange AGCO tractors they just lost resale when their brand was killed. Sorry, but if you want resale buy John Deere.

JohnCO wrote: I think the board is wising up and asking the right questions, such as, why are sales dropping in NA when all the other farm equipment companies are in two digit increase of sales?

Edited by TomYaz - 12 Feb 2011 at 4:54pm