Vintage tractors and memories of summers past, with Oliver Godfrey
Oliver Godfrey, head of machinery at Cheffins, joins the Country Life podcast to talk about the joys of vintage tractors
Everyone has their passions. I, for example, enjoy collecting football shirts. Other people like stamps. Some people like vintage tractors. Oliver Godfrey, from Cheffins, is very good at auctioning them. It is important to understand people and their passions.
So we asked Oliver to join the Country Life Podcast, to talk us through the slightly niche world of vintage tractor buying, selling and collecting. He is the best man to ask. Not only is he a man of the countryside, who has a burning passion for all things tractor, his work at Cheffins recently saw him handle the largest sale of vintage tractors in Europe.
• Listen to Country Life podcast on Apple Podcasts
• Listen to Country Life podcast on Spotify
• Listen to Country Life podcast on Audible



We talk about what makes a tractor great, his record-breaking sale in 2022, and crawling around people's dusty old sheds looking for hidden gems ('There's a lot of dark sheds in this country, and we've not been through all of them. You never know what you're going to find').
But most importantly, we discuss why people love them. They are fun. They bring back memories of summer. You can drive them around. And the market for them seems to be doing better than ever. Is now the time to move away from gold and invest in Vintage Tractor? We don't do financial advice.
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
It was a great episode, and something a little different. I hope you enjoy it.
Episode credits
Host: James Fisher
Guest: Oliver Godfrey
Producer and editor: Toby Keel
Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

James Fisher is the Digital Commissioning Editor of Country Life. He writes about motoring, travel and things that upset him. He lives in London. He wants to publish good stories, so you should email him.
-
This Suffolk home is a perfect escape from the world and it comes with its own stretch of river and 20 acresThis idyllic home in Suffolk is the perfect village home.
-
We remember Prunella Scales in the Country Life Quiz of the Day, October 28, 2025The actor passed away today and is best known for her role opposite John Cleese in the TV programme 'Fawlty Towers'.
-
1,000 issues and counting: Editor-in-chief Mark Hedges on the Country Life PodcastMark Hedges has been editor of Country Life for 1,000 issues — and not far short of 20 years.
-
Stefan Pitman: Making great country houses cost less to heat than a suburban semiThe trailblazing architect Stefan Pitman — founder of SPASE — joins the Country Life Podcast.
-
The lives, wild parties and country houses of the Guinness family: Adrian Tinniswood on the Country Life PodcastThe writer and historian Adrian Tinniswood joins James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast.
-
Amanda Owen: The Yorkshire Shepherdess on farming, life, and having tea with her sheepLife can be beautiful for farmers, and often is — but it can also be hard and bleak. James Robinson joined the Country Life Podcast to talk about the extraordinary ups and downs of the job he loves, and how Nature helps out when things get tough.
-
James Robinson: A fifth-generation farmer on the ups and downs of 'the most glorious job in the world'Life can be beautiful for farmers, and often is — but it can also be hard and bleak. James Robinson joined the Country Life Podcast to talk about the extraordinary ups and downs of the job he loves, and how Nature helps out when things get tough.
-
Flying helicopters, rampaging elephants and painting Ronnie Wood: Hannah Shergold on the Country Life PodcastThe artist — and former Army helicopter pilot — Hannah Shergold joins James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast.
-
Five years, 10,400 miles and a boatload of stories: Mark Ashley-Miller on the Country Life PodcastMark Ashley-Miller, the man who sailed to every harbour in Britain and Ireland, joins the Country Life Podcast.
-
Jules Perowne: Where to go in 2026, hotel disasters and podcasting with Richard E. GrantThe queen of travel PR joins the Country Life podcast.