Engenheiro Augusto Pinto spent 35 years designing agricultural machinery for Portuguese cooperatives. When he retired to his quinta in the Douro Valley, he brought with him three meticulously restored classic tractors — and a desire to see them used again.
A Life in Agriculture
Augusto's career spanned the transition era of Portuguese farming, from oxen and hand tools to GPS-guided precision agriculture. His private collection of restored tractors represented not just personal pride, but a tangible record of that transformation — each machine rebuilt from the ground up in his workshop over many years.
When his children told him they had heard about Agricola NGO on Rádio Douro, Augusto contacted the team the same afternoon. "I knew immediately," he said. "These machines need to work. They were made to work."
Ferguson TE20 (1954)
Fully restored, new clutch & tyres — placed in Bragança
Deutz D40 (1968)
Air-cooled diesel, rebuilt engine — placed in Guarda
SAME Corsaro 50 (1971)
Four-wheel drive, vineyard spec — placed in Douro
Suggested: Augusto in his workshop, or the three tractors before handover
"I spent my career making these machines. Now I want to give them to people who will use them the way they were always meant to be used — to feed families." — Augusto Pinto, Retired Agricultural Engineer
Classic Machines, Modern Impact
Receiving restored vintage tractors presented a unique challenge for Agricola's vehicle team. Each machine was assessed by a certified mechanic, fitted with safety updates where required, and matched to a farming operation suited to its specifications. All three were placed within eight weeks of Augusto's initial contact.
The Ferguson TE20 — the famous "Little Grey Fergie" — went to a smallholder in Bragança who uses it for potato cultivation. The Deutz D40 was matched to a community cooperative in Guarda managing a 40-hectare cereal plot. The SAME Corsaro 50, built for vineyard work, found its home on a Douro wine estate that had recently lost its aging tractor to engine failure.
Suggested: one of the classic tractors working in the field, or at its new home
A Legacy in Motion
Augusto attended all three handover ceremonies personally, driving each tractor one last time before handing the keys to its new owner. "That was the proper goodbye," he said. "To drive them, not to watch them be towed away."
He has since volunteered as a technical advisor to Agricola's mechanical inspection team, helping evaluate donated vehicles that require specialist assessment.
Suggested: Augusto handing over keys at ceremony, or portrait in his Douro quinta