Painted bright yellow, with evocative ‘Mustang’ script stamped on the side of the bonnet, this is one raucous lump of 1970s Americana.
“Once you start it, the blade underneath is permanently running because it’s attached directly to the engine,” explains Wendy Mackellow.
Husband Paul adds: “Hence why I’ve removed the blades.”
The mighty Mowett Mustang 5hp (below) is just one of the 23 ride-on lawnmowers in this couple’s huge collection of vintage horticultural equipment.
Ride-on lawnmowers are among the largest machines in Wendy and Paul Mackellow’s collection, which extends to hand tools and tiny two-stroke engines
“We bought a Tarpen generating set in 2004,” recalls Paul. “It ran and had a little hedge-cutter with it.
“I’d been going to country shows since the 1980s, but I had never seen anybody do a display of Tarpen machines, so I started collecting them.”
Fast-forward to 2024, and Paul and Wendy have an impressive assortment of old-school tools, including sheep-shearing equipment, hand tools, garden sprinkler systems and those ride-ons, all of which they bring to shows across the UK.
“The collection is weird, wacky and wonderful, and, because it’s fairly small stuff, you don’t need that much room”
