A most successful confrontation ...
About myself there is not much to tell, I think…Maybe a little bit of an eccentric person, I will always be myself, and I own, as far as I know a very strong personality. It was much too late in my life, when I was confronted for the first time ever, with these lovely old tractors. A very special hobby as I may say, especially for a woman. Some people have all the luck to be born in a farmers family, I was given this opportunity in the year 1998 at a firm called Luyckx and even in my own village. Never in my life I have even realized the present of these old charming vehicles. Almost every day people ask me the same question, over and over. How did it begun? Well, here my answer… One day we went on invitation to this company named Luyckx, during an Open-Visit. For the first time in my whole life something made me speechless, I was confronted for the very first time with these old tractors, parked all 25 very lovely and perfect on a straight line. I really was in extasy from the first second I layed eyes on these beauties. My reaction was loud and clear: This is what I am going to do in the future! After a nice conversation with the responsible person, I was very soon invited to several Oldtimer-tractor-meetings. It was about a year later I could proudly say to be possessor of my first tractor, my MAN Ackerdiesel. And 9 years later I was able to present my second tractor, my Italian Landini. Sitting on it as a woman and driving these lovely vehicles more then perfectly if I may say, is more like asking for attention as if a woman cannot drive these tractors! On those moments a big smile turns on my face immediately , and with my chin up I pass all those staring and curious eyes… It is such a full filling and lovely hobby, even still after more then 15 years now, I am still obsessed of it. At last a funny attentive remark, my daughter who was also the inventor of my nickname ‘Mie Tracteur’ always says with a big smile : “I wish we have never been to the company Luyckx!” And she was absolutely right: it changed my life completely, and I am most grateful for it! 20-01-2012
With absolutely no background or any kind of connection to rural life whatever, 25 years ago I was lucky enough to discover it with old tractors. From the very first second I was totally, say madly in love with this handsome old vehicles. In all pride I may say to be a proud owner of a German MAN Ackerdiesel C40h and an Italian Landini L25, both made in 1956. As a woman entering a tough man's world, you'd be less scared, I do feel at home here. A nice lady is thus checked if it flatters her bottom down promptly in a comfortable sit of an old tractor, and allows her clothes are all too eager the smell of oil and fuel oil absorbs into it ... Out with all perfumes, a new women's fragrance has absolutely been born!
Love and loyalty to both marks, is actually an open secret that I am only too happy for, with an inexhaustible enthusiasm letting everyone know . Why such a MAN or a Landini? I can’t explain it myself, but this purchase was definitely "love at first sight '. I do have an explanation for the purchase of my second tractor, my beautiful Landini. Italian steel that appealed to me so great because of the Sicilian blood in my veins bubbling. In 2007 I was therefore proud owner of this specific tractor. This hot bulb tractor starts by heating the hot bulb by means of a gas burner, prime the fuel by ahnd and start it by just turning the flywheel. With a gas bottle and gas burner in hand is 'heated up' and throwing a flywheel just to start this lovely beauty. The ultimate thrill, every time ... I may also say with pride, my 'license' to start this lovely oldtimer tractor in all honor to have achieved ... What a great experience…!
24 years now I have been driven along with my tractors. Almost 1000 km a year are made by the two tractors, with the MAN or together with my wonderfully Landini and at the back the trailer. Almost every event attended beginning from april to october. An ever recurring ritual: the many preparations, the excellent 'round trip', enjoy the many wonderful welcomes organized by the organizers, the preparation of my tractors on the field, the ultimate finding themselves breaking down my most extended position, saying goodbye to the organizers, the 'not-too-fast-we-will-get-there-at-last-home-trip' and enjoy many great pictures later on...
How life can be beautiful, if you can completely indulge in anything that your heart fills with love again and again and passion as I feel for these "oldies" ... Old tractors deserve utmost respect to be treated. Perhaps your visit to my website will charm you, and maybe you might be convinced it makes sense to handle any old-timer of any kind, with love and passion… We do have to honour everything our great-great-great-parents left us through the ages. And therefore we respect them even more, they left us such great machines with outstanding knowledge concerning oldtimer tractors. Thank you so much…!