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While FIAT is most well known for making cars, it didn’t take long after its founding in 1899 for the company to branch out into other fields of industry.

By 1909, FIAT was no longer a newcomer in the automotive world.  They were consistently gaining market share across Europe and, beginning in 1908, were even exporting vehicles to the United States.  Always a visionary, Giovanni Agnelli decided to expand into the agricultural market.

So, in 1910, FIAT began designing their first tractor.  Progress went slow.  In 1914, their plans for a tractor were put on hold by the demands of World War I. However, immediately upon The Great War’s end in 1917, FIAT resumed development of their tractor. 

In 1957, FIAT sold their 100,000^th tractor.

By the 1970s, FIAT Trattori SpA was experiencing explosive growth.  In 1974, they joined with Allis-Chalmers to form FIATAllis.  They gobbled up 20% of the French company Laverda, a company which specialized in harvesters. Then, in 1975, they turned the tractor industry worldwide on its head with their new FIAT 80.

The FIAT 80 was designed in collaboration with Pininfarina. Did you know Pininfarina dabbled in the tractor-design business?  Besides bringing Pininfarina’s beautiful design lines to the farming world, Pininfarina did something that changed tractors forever; they designed the cab into the tractor itself.  Previously, cabs were built separately, often by companies which didn’t make tractors, and bolted onto the tractor frame.  Pininfarina’s integrated cab design made tractor construction easier and allowed cabs to become much more farmer-friendly.

Using the name of an American forage equipment company they acquired in 1977, FIAT entered the US tractor market in 1978 under the name “Hesston”.  FIATAgri was created with FIAT Trattori becoming a subsidiary of the larger company.

The 1980s saw FIATAgri continuing to expand.  In 1981, they purchased controlling interest in Laverda.  In 1983, they purchased another French company, Braud.  Braud specialized in wine harvesters.

With FIAT’s agricultural business spreading across the globe, FIATAgri merged with all their subsidiaries and themselves became a subsidiary of the new FIAT Geotech.  FIAT-produced tractors were sold by brands such Ford and New Holland.

Then, in 1991, FIAT purchased Ford New Holland outright. Since then, mergers and expansion have continued.  The parent holding company changed names several times and more agricultural equipment companies around the world joined the fold. Along the way, Ford, New Holland, and FIATAgri’s tractor businesses were merged into simply New Holland.  However, the leaf logo of FIATAgri remains on New Holland tractors.

Today, the company is known as CNH Global NV.  It’s largest shareholder is the Agnelli family’s Exor; owning 45.3% of CNH voting rights.

From their new car company and then their fledging FIAT Trattori business, the Agnelli family have grown the business over the last 120+ years from domination of the Italian tractor industry to being a major player in the worldwide agricultural equipment industry.

When you travel through farm country today, know that every piece of Case, New Holland, and Steyr farm equipment you see is produced under the umbrella of Fiat family companies.

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Sources:

Fiatagriworld.com

Yetrac.com

GrowerExperts.com

Wikipedia