Normag

The history of Normag started in Nordhausen in the Harz. In 1895 the company Schmidt, Kranz & Co. AG was founded, which prevalent produced mining machines. In 1934, they tried to design a farm tractor, after a patent from Franz Otto. The curious vehicle had no shift gearbox, but a front wheel drive with iron wheels, combined with a steerable rear axle. The so-called crude oil-farm tractor brought between 20 and 26 hp with an engine speed of 500 till 700 r.p.m. It ran with a single-cylinder two-stroke hot-bulb engine, similar to the model obstructed at the LANZ Bulldog. However, the construction was already technical and optical outdated back then, so no buyer could be found and the production was stopped.
Because of the promising appearance of the tractor market of the 1930s, in 1936 the firm Nordhäuser Maschinenbau AG (NORMAG bzw. Normag) was founded. This company should concentrate on the building of farm tractors. Two years later with the „NG 22“ the first standard tractor with a 22-hp-diesel engine was brought to market. The marketing worked out, so in the beginning of 1939 the thousandth Normag was produced. In the same year the production of a second tractor with also 22 hp was started. It was brought to market as „NG 10“ in 1941. While the diesel engine for the „NG 22“ was delivered by MWM, the diesel engine for the „NG 10“ came from the company Deutz.
Because of the lack of liquid fuel during the Second World War, the two standard models were phased out in favour of the „NG 25“ with wood gas burning in 1942. The smooth change of the production was possible, because Normag in contrast to the other producers, previously had developed a tractor, which was passably clear and easy to handle.
After the war Nordhausen was located in the Soviet occupation zone, what became a problem for the company. On the one hand the disassembling through the Soviets was lurking, on the other hand before 1939 the biggest key market was especially located in West Germany Therefore the corporate management around operations manager August von Scheven left the location and moved with the construction documents and the bigger part of the staff into the branch in Zorge in Südharz (West Germany). To establish a border to the formerly location, the company Normag-Zorge GmbH was founded in 1946. In the same year the production of the 24 hp strong „NG 23“ was started. The haulier in most parts looked like the prewarmodel „NG 22“ and was technical full equipped, but missed an engine bonnet. The model was solicited with the words „Worauf es ankommt“ (All that counts) and the allusion to the technical priorities and low running costs.
As expected in 1948 the branch at the former location Nordhausen was nationalised, by what the VEB IFA Schlepperwerk Nordhausen was founded. Here 25 more tractors of the type „NG 25 D“ were mounted from remainders and partly equipped with the Normag-Emblem, but mostly with the designation IFA. The hauliers got diesel engines from MWM (Motorenwerke Mannheim) or Deutz (F2M414). From these tractors about five pieces are still existing today, from which four are equipped with a Deutz-engine.
Meanwhile, it fell into place that the transport situation of the Normag-Zorge GmbH in the area adjacent to the Soviet Zone wasn't the best and they searched for a new location. Operations Manager August von Scheven proposed his hometown Sprockhövel in Ruhr. At last in the nearby Hattingen a branch was founded, were the production started in 1947. MWM had supply difficulties, for which reason in the same year the own engine BM24 was developed, which for the first time was mounted at the „NG 23“. Also, the successor – the „NG 23 K“ - got the new engine integrated and at last a modern engine bonnet as well as the NZ-emblem, which should became typically for the following models.
In 1949 the „NG 15 L was brought to market and one year later the „NG 35“. In 1952 the „C 10 and the „NG 45“ came along. So a complete haulier-program between 10 and 45 hp could be offered. Subsequently, the engines and drive units were technical improved. Also, for a unique optic of the engine bonnets was cared. But the introduction of the new sales designation, formerly caused confusion. The tractors were sold under the names Faktor I, II or III, but on the identification plates were still written the old designation with „NG xx“ and a designation with the letters C, F or K, which meaning is forgotten today. In 1954 the tractor program was further made round by the types „Kornett I“ and „Kornett II“. Since 1954, the new air-cooled single-cylinder two-stroke engines were used. However, the sales volume were on the decrease and in 1955 the company Orenstein & Koppel (O&K) resumed the production plant in Hattingen, which should enable a better efficiency. One year later a technical and optical over-worked, complete haulier program with ILO-two-stroke engines was introduced. It belonged to it the types „N 12“, „K 15a“, „K 18a“, „F 22“, „F 30“, „NG 35 M“ and „NG 45 L“. But even as in 1957 with the „K 13a“ and „K 16b“ two further types were added, the slump in sales couldn't be stopped. So at last the production had to be stopped at the end of the year.
Since the 1st of January in 1958, the Porsche-Diesel GmbH resumed the spare parts supply of the leftover Normag-tractors in Germany.
In Luxembourg the name Normag was preserved a while longer. Here the company Edouard Hentges produced to types in small series till 1960 and sold them under the designations Lux-Trac and Normag-Hentges.