The Dealer has noticed that the latest figures from the Irish Bulletin of Vehicle and Driver Statistics show that we now have the highest number of registered agricultural tractors in the history of the State.

The figures show that 89,494 agricultural tractors were registered by the end of 2013, up a massive 26,412 (or 41.8%) over the previous year. The change in the vehicle off-the-road legislation this time last year – and The Dealer well remembers the long queues at motor tax offices – also brought more vintage tractors into the road tax net, with the number of registered vintage vehicles rising by 44.6%.