Challenger

In 1925, two pioneering tractor firms, Holt and Best, merged to form the Caterpillar Tractor Co, the leading maker of track-laying construction machinery worldwide. In 1987 Caterpillar launched the Challenger tractor with the patent 'Mobil-trac' system. From 1963 onwards Ag-Chem produced specialist agricultural spray equipment. Ag-Chem then produced Terra-Gator and Rogator spray vehicles. Ag-Chem was taken over by AGCO in 2001, and in the following year AGCO began to produce Challenger tracked machines under licence from Caterpillar. The Challenger range was expanded, built in the USA and France. AGCO which also owns the Fendt, Gleaner, GSI, Massey Ferguson and Valtra brands.