The last Commander 5-gang cylinder mower has rolled off the production line at Ransomes Jacobsen's manufacturing plant in Ipswich.
The first Ransomes Commander was produced in 1994and the machine has been a stalwart of wide area mowing for local authorities and groundscare contractorsever since.
The last Commander is destined for a customer in France and features a tribute to Tony 'Mr Commander' Dunnage - one of Ransomes' assembly technicians - who passed away last year. A special memorial plate has been inserted into the engine compartment by his colleagues to recognise Tony's contribution to the production of the machine.
Marking the completion of the last machine, Operations Director Simon Rainger paid tribute to the assembly technicians who, for the past three months, have been building both the old and the new versions as the Commander was being phased out.
To applause from the assembled staff, the last machine drove away from the line to the strains of Gracie Field's popular song from World War 2 Wish me luck as you wave me good-bye.
Operations Director Simon Rainger addresses Ransomes' staff as the final Commander comes off the line
