Almost a dozen members of the Porsche Tractor Drivers Club from Stuttgart have been touring the island since last Wednesday as part of an international vintage tractor festival. The participants are accommodated in the country hotel Es Riquers in Porreres and start a new ride every morning. “We drive around 100 kilometers without being in a hurry and enjoy the landscape just as much as visiting a weekly market or eating in a typical local restaurant,” says Alexander Mauz, President of the Porsche Tractor Club.
The event was actually planned for 2020, but had to be canceled due to the pandemic. “We usually make four trips a year within Germany or Austria. This time we chose Mallorca because of our friend Jürgen Braunwarth, who has been spending three or four months on the island for 17 years. He has a house in Montuïri and a Porsche tractor that he uses for his work in the fields. Besides, many of us already know Mallorca and love it,” says Mauz.
None of the eleven tractors that came to the island from Stuttgart via Barcelona are still used today for plowing or working in the fields. “The vehicles are restored or perfectly maintained jewels. We only take them for trips,” says Alexander Mauz, who, like most members, owns more than one tractor. “I don’t come from agriculture. My hobby started when my son was born and at some point he became enthusiastic about tractors. The first of four tractors I bought was a 1960 Porsche Diesel Super V, which I bought for 15,000 marks. I bought it for 15,000 marks back then and today it’s worth 30,000 euros.”
Around 120,000 of these Porsche tractors were produced, all in the same red colour, in four different models (Junior, Standard Super and Master) and with one or four cylinders. Their top speed is 25 km/h and they can travel around 200 km with a full 40 liter tank. The 23 of the 55 members of the Porsche Tractor Driver Club are looking forward to discovering Mallorca by tractor.
