What Is the Ford LGT?
Last Updated August 8, 2023 | Andrew BoyleBarely even three years after the creation of the Mustang, Ford used the Mustang name to help sell a lawn and garden tractor. That’s right, there was a Mustang adjacent lawn and garden tractor. This was a big part of Ford’s early business; they sold tractors, both for the farm and for the lawn. There were even push mowers sold during this time that wore the blue oval with pride. All in all, this product was part of a weird series of products so divorced from what we know Ford to make today, yet it relied upon the popularity of the Mustang as a selling point.
The Mustang of Lawn and Garden Tractors
"It was referred to as the lawn and garden tractor for "Mustang people with lawns."
Ford was serious about selling their lawn and garden tractors during the late '60s. So much so, that they even went as far as to compare one of their models, the LGT 120, to a Mustang. It was referred to as the lawn and garden tractor for "Mustang people with lawns." Sure, there really isn't really such a thing as a muscle lawnmower. It isn't the power or the exhaust note of the Ford LGT that really matters, it's the fact that this otherwise mundane tool could evoke some of the feelings of a Mustang. If you are a Mustang person with a lawn, you might as well mow it with something that sparks joy.
A Forgotten Ford?
Ford tractors weren’t made by Ford proper during this time, however. Through their manufacture, the tractors were made by a rotating series of companies, of which included Jacobsen, Shibaura, Gilson, and Toro.
Although it only sported 12 horsepower, it still had a 4-speed transmission. While the LGT 120 was shown mowing a lawn in the promotional image, it came with a large variety of specific attachments, including a snowblower and a loader.
Ford actually made lawn and garden tractors up until the early ’90s, so this part of Ford’s history wasn’t just a flash in the pan.
A Part of Ford's Past
Sadly, the Ford lawn and garden tractors are now a part of the past, just like the Fiesta, Focus, and Fusion in North America. We did recently see the revitalization of the Bronco however with the 2021 Bronco, so who knows? Maybe there will be a supercharged Shelby GT Lawnmower that can take your lawn from shaggy to clean in under six seconds in Ford's future.
