Well some of them, anyway. There is not an exhaustive list nor is it any indications of the ones I like or consider important. It’s just some favourite photos from the JCB 70^th anniversary archives.

First up (above) is an iconic advert (it says here) from 1960 for the JCB 4 backhoe loader.

Next, from 1963, comes the JCB 3C, a ’sixties design classic that helped to revolutionise the building industry.

 

Skip forward a few years to 1977 and the introduction of the Mk III backhoe loader range and the 520 Loadall telescopic handler.

 

 

 

Into the 1980s with the expanding Loadall range being joined by the 520M. The Loadalls were as big a hit on the farms as they were on construction sites. And they spelled the death of the Jones Iron Fairy.

 

 

In 1982, in the face of growing Japanese competition, JCB launched its first ever mini excavator.

 

 

In 1985 the 3CX Sitemaster backhoe loader was launched and went on to be JCB’s biggest-ever selling backhoe.

Then in 1988, just for fun (and bragging rights), came the world’s fastest digger, the 100mph JCB GT. Vroom, vroom.

 

 

Back to more serious stuff and in 1991 came the launch of the 4CX Sitemaster, swiftly (very swiftly) followed by the JCB Fastrac tractor for the farmer in a hurry – it was the world’s first genuine high-speed, full suspension tractor and cost £12 million to develop. Rural motorists gave thanks.

 

 

 

The 1CX, JCB’s smallest backhoe loader, came onto the market in 1994.

 

 

More bragging rights were claimed in 2006 with the world diesel land-speed record being broken on the Bonneville Salt Flats in the USA by Wing Commander Andy Green driving the JCB Dieselmax Streamliner car at speeds topping 350 mph. To be precise, he clocked up 350.092 mph. It still holds the record. Vroom, vroom, vroom.

 

 

Recognising that power is only part of what customers require, the fuel-saving Eco backhoe loader was introduced in 2010 with suitably patriotic pizzazz.

 

 

And bringing us right up to date is this year’s big launch, the JCB 3CX Compact, a machine 35% smaller than its bigger brother and designed to work on ever increasingly congested building sites.