Société Française de Vierzon Tractors.

Société Française de Vierzon were producers of an extensive range of farm equipment. The Company was founded by Célestin Gérard who was born in 1821, after completing an apprenticeship as a carpenter he returned to the Vosges and and addition to the normal work of a carpenter he repaired farm equipment.  After having constructed a threshing machine for his father his ability and ingenuity resulted in demand for his skills.  In 1848 he established a workshop in Vierzon.

Over the following years he produced winnowing machines, root-slicers and various other award winning agricultural implements together with a range of threshing machines.  The enterprise continued to grow and in 1878 it became The Société Française de Vierzon.  While the Société commenced production of steam powered machinery 1861 it was to be 1931 before the they produced their first tractor.

The vast majority of S.F. Vierzon tractors were of the horizontal two-stroke semi-diesel type.  During the 1930's and up to the mid 1950's these tractors provided the motive power for driving belt powered machinery such as thrashing machines.  While they could hold their own when pulling trailed implements, by the mid 1950's the products of other competitors were much more user friendly, despite an attempt to catch up with a new range of Peugeot diesel powered tractor, it was too little, too late and the Société ceased trading in the early 1960's.