Combine harvester, red plastic, 'MF Massey Ferguson, 760', made by Britains Ltd, England, 1978.

Red plastic combine harvester modelled on a Massey Ferguson model 760. The vehicle is red all over with a red funnel that is hinged at the top, which is moveable. It has a silver chimney on the top next to the cabin, turning this causes the rear wheels to change direction. The cabin has a white roof, seat and steering wheel, and a figure of a farmer dressed in blue overalls sitting in the seat. On both sides is a label reading 'MF Massey Ferguson, 760' in white and black text. On the front and back are the letters 'MF'. The wheels are black rubber with yellow plastic centres.

This toy was bought by the Museum for the exhibition 'Must Have Toys' in 2004. The exhibition was about the most popular toys from the previous 100 years. The exhibition was shown at the V&A Museum of Childhood and then it went on to tour the UK.

This toy won the Toy Retailers Association's Toy of the Year award in 1978. The awards started in 1965 and were highly regarded in the toy industry. However, compared to other years this toy seems to have been an unusual winner. It may have had something to do with the popularity of The Wurzels chart-topping song, 'The Combine Harvester,' two years earlier, which was a hit with young children.

B.124-2004