JCB Turns 1:32 Model Backhoe into Life-Size Spectacle

A giant backhoe loader has taken centre stage at JCB’s headquarters in Rocester, Staffordshire, to celebrate the company’s 80th birthday. 

The eight-tonne JCB 3CX Sitemaster has been recreated in the style of the 1:32 scale models treasured by collectors, creating a striking lakeside display.

“Scale models of our iconic machines have been a part of the JCB family for as long as I can remember. The Backhoe in a Box at JCB’s World HQ is an amazing tribute to our market-leading backhoe and is a truly spectacular sight,” said George Bamford, JCB Deputy Chairman.

The installation, nicknamed Backhoe in a Box, stands approximately 4.5 metres tall and 7.5 metres wide. It is illuminated at night and will remain on display until January.

The exhibit also celebrates JCB’s long-running partnership with TOMY’s Britains brand, which has made over one million miniature models of JCB machines over almost 60 years.

“The backhoe loader has been the most successful Britains JCB replica model, so TOMY is delighted to see it displayed in this giant form at the JCB World Headquarters in Staffordshire,” said Mary Wood, Managing Director of TOMY Europe.

This year has been notable for JCB in other ways as well, with the production of its one-millionth full-sized backhoe loader.

JCB was founded in a small 3.6-metre by 4.5-metre garage in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, when Joseph Cyril Bamford CBE built his first farm trailer using wartime scrap. He rented the garage for 30 shillings a week and sold his first trailer for £45 at the local market. After 18 months, he moved to a nearby stable block when the garage owner objected to Sunday working.

On October 23, JCB Chairman Lord Anthony Bamford returned to the original site to unveil a blue heritage plaque. “My earliest memory of the business is of me playing in my father’s workshop. Other than my time at school and my apprenticeship in France with another company, I’ve been around ever since,” he said.

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Reflecting on the company’s growth, he added: “We have developed the business and products along the way enormously. Probably one of the greatest pleasures for me has been in developing products with our formidable team of highly qualified engineers. 

“As we celebrate JCB’s 80th birthday, it’s wonderful to be back at the spot where it all began and to mark the location with a special blue plaque. I’m delighted that in a small way we can highlight where it all began and reflect on the continuing importance of our home county of Staffordshire.”

The Backhoe in a Box installation offers visitors a striking celebration of JCB’s heritage, combining the nostalgia of its model replicas with the scale of its real-life machines.

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