We all know once in awhile I get off on a small triva bit I find interesting. Discussing the paint on the style steel wheels on another thread brought this back in my mine that I shared on the Boss 302 site a few months ago. I thought some on here might enjoy this as it is somewhat related to the Cougar as well.
Growing up on a farm we always had John Deere equipment. In 1975 we started buying White equipment basically because we had a close dealer that was excellent in customer service and a large parts inventory. We have had over a dozen White tractors on the farm and still have four of them. The white tractor has always had an ID plate “Field Boss” on them. I always thought it was cool but never though their was any connection to the Ford Boss name. I’m on a Oliver/White Facebook page and the subject come up with some interesting history.
“The “Boss” moniker was Bunkie Knudsen’s handiwork. He was president of Ford Motor Company when Larry Shinoda designed the Boss 302 & 429 Mustangs. Knudsen left Ford, landing at White Motor next, and took the “Boss” moniker with him to White.”
So, their is a connection after all and also went on to say Bunkie was also behind the sliver Argent and black charcoal poly paint colors on the White tractors. As they were Ford colors he used on the new White equipment. White dropped the Boss name around 1980 after filing bankruptcy and being bought out by TIC Investment Corporation and later by AGCO. They used the WFE logo for “White Farm Equipment” after that, but still called it a “Field Boss” on the back window… The Boss name was used on all the White company products from 1974 up until then.
Field Boss = Tractor
Road Boss = Semi truck
Yard Boss = Lawn mower
Harvest Boss = Combine
Seed Boss = Planter
Tillage Boss = Disc
Snow blower = Snow Boss
Rototiller = Roto Boss
Special tractor for fruit production = Orchard Boss
One of our “Boss” tractors with it’s Ford Argent sliver & Black Charcoal poly paint.
