Hornsby Tractor Hornsby Tractor Probably the oldest surviving tracked vehicle the Hornsby 'Little Caterpillar' was built for the War Office in 1909. It has a system of tracks patented by David Roberts and is powered by a six cylinder engine. It played no direct part in the evolution of the tank but serves to remind visitors that the idea of crawler tracks is much older than the tank itself. Little Willie When William Tritton and Walter Wilson started work on Landship design in the summer of 1915, they built this vehicle and fitted it with imported American tracks. These proved unsuitable so new tracks were devised which were successful. Little Willie is displayed, in a workshop setting, just as it would have looked at this time. Little Willie Mark I Mark I, 1916 The oldest fighting tank in the world this heavy 'male' tank has been painted to represent a tank of C Company, Heavy Branch Machine Gun Corps during the very first tank attack in history; at Flers on 15 September 1916.