, ▁ 1 9 9 9 ) ▁was ▁co - found er ▁of ▁the ▁Vers atile ▁tra ctor ▁company , ▁and ▁is ▁cred ited ▁with ▁many ▁invent ions ▁and ▁equipment ▁innov ations ▁including ▁the ▁modern - day ▁gra in ▁aug er ▁used ▁by ▁combine ▁har vest ers . ▁He ▁is ▁considered ▁an ▁innov ator ▁in ▁the ▁field ▁of ▁agricult ural ▁mach in ery ▁on ▁a ▁level ▁with ▁John ▁De ere ▁and ▁C yrus ▁McC orm ick . ▁ ▁Vers atile ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁company ▁to ▁mass - produ ce ▁art ic ulated ▁four - w heel ▁drive ▁tra ctors , ▁starting ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁with ▁the ▁D 1 0 0 ▁and ▁G 1 0 0 ▁four - w heel ▁drives . ▁Those ▁ground - bre aking ▁tra ctors ▁were ▁primitive ▁by ▁modern ▁standards , ▁with ▁a ▁ 6 - cy l inder ▁dies el ▁or ▁ 8 - cy l inder ▁gas ▁engine ▁producing ▁ 1 0 0 ▁horse power . ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁models ▁sold ▁for ▁less ▁than ▁CA $ 1 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁Four - w heel ▁drive ▁demand ▁increased ▁significantly , ▁with ▁Vers atile ▁becoming ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁leaders ▁in ▁four - w heel ▁drive ▁development ▁and ▁production . ▁By ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁the ▁Vers atile ▁line up ▁included ▁tra ctors ▁r anging ▁from ▁ 2 2 0 ▁to ▁ 3 3 0 ▁horse power . ▁With ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁came ▁an