6
NewHollandAgriculture represents
theperfectmatchbetween
the leadingplayers in thehistory
ofagriculturalmachinery.
NewHolland, Ford,ClaeysandFiat
all came together tocreateourworld
leadingbrand.Overacentury
ofgroundbreaking inventionshave
shapedwhatweare today.
A decade later, in Italy, Fiat launched its first tractor:
the Model 702. Various inventions followed: Fiat
introduced its first crawler tractor in
1931
. Ford
brought out the 3-point hitch in
1937
. The first New
Holland automatic pick-up bailer was launched in
1940
.
Then, just afterWorldWar II, Sperry RandCorporation
bought New Holland. The new company was called
Sperry New Holland. Its first breakthrough: the
haybinemower-conditioner.
But Europe was also breaking new ground, and in
1952 Claeys launched its first self-propelled combine-
harvester. This was followed, a decade later, by New
Holland’s first forage harvester, which was also self-
propelled.
Not surprisingly, in
1964
SperryNewHolland acquired
a major interest in Claeys. Two of the original players
were coming together.
In
1966
, Ford introduced its first backhoe loader.
In
1971
New Holland responded with its first skid
steer loader. Three years later another New Holland
revolution: theworld’s first twin-rotor combine.
It can come as no surprise that, in1986, Ford acquired
Sperry New Holland and formed Ford New Holland.
T
he four men who shaped the future of the
automotive industry were born between 1863
and 1879: AbramM. Zimmerman, Henry Ford,
Giovanni Agnelli and Leon Claeys. They are all linked
toNewHolland’s 120 year history, which is celebrated
this year. A history of bold innovation, commitment,
and determination. Let’s see how it happened.
Abe Zimmerman took the first steps. He opened his
first machinery repair shop in
1895
, when he was 26.
Eight years later, with the invention of the freeze-
proof engine, he founded the New Holland Machine
Company. At the same time, in farawayBelgium, Leon
Claeys was 27 years oldwhen he set up a company to
build thrashingmachines.
And in
1907
, Henry Fordbegan themassmanufacture
of gasoline powered tractors. For the first time
ever, farmers had access to a powerful machine at
affordable prices.
But Fiat was also expanding: in
1984
Fiat Trattori
became Fiat Agri and purchased Braud, a specialist
manufacturer of grape harvesters.
Fiat Agri then merged with Fiat Allis and became Fiat
Geotech. And in
1991
, the Europeans and Americans
finally came together: Fiat Geotech purchased Ford
NewHollandandmerged it intoNewHollandGeotech.
NewHolland celebrates its anniversarywithnew achievements
120 Years of Innovation
120 Years Anniversary
