Minneapolis-Moline was formed in 1929 through the merger of three companies. Of these, Minneapolis Steel and Machinery Company had manufactured tractors under the Twin City brand, and going forward, the tractors were named Minneapolis-Moline Twin City. However, in 1937, a new lineup was introduced, designed to be modern, painted in a new Prairie Gold color, and the Twin City name was gradually phased out by 1940.

The first of the new models was the medium-sized (”2-3 plow”) Z, followed in the summer of 1938 by the larger (”3-4 plow”) U. A De Luxe model UDLX was also introduced, featuring a streamlined steel cab and suspension on all wheels. In 1939, the smallest model R was introduced to replace the former FT. It was also available with a cab. There were several versions of all models. For example, the RTN was the row-crop version of the R with one front wheel, the RTU had two side-by-side front wheels, and the RTS was the standard tractor with a wide front axle. All models were equipped with Minneapolis-Moline 4-cylinder gasoline engines (or their kerosene or butane versions). The transmissions had 4 forward gears plus 1 reverse, but the rubber-tired versions of the Z and U had 5 forward gears plus 1 reverse. The clutch was hand-operated, and there were two brake pedals operated by the left foot. The steering wheel was on the left side of the centerline, and the steering shaft ran along the left side of the hood. Power take-off was an optional accessory. Disc brakes were introduced on the R model in 1948.

In 1952, a diesel engine was introduced for the U model, but it did not gain much popularity.

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