Landini SpA, is an Italian

agricultural machinery Agricultural machinery relates to the mechanical structures and devices used in farming or other agriculture. There are many types of such equipment, from hand tools and power tools to tractors and the countless kinds of farm implements that the ...

manufacturer. The company designs and builds

tractors A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or construction. Most common ...

. The company was founded by Giovanni Landini in 1884 in

Fabbrico Fabbrico ( Reggiano: or ; locally ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Emilia in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about northwest of Bologna and about northeast of Reggio Emilia. Fabbrico borders the following mu ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, Landini had just started making

tractor A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or construction. Most common ...

s in 1925, when Giovanni died preventing the completion of the first prototype tractor. Giovanni Landini's sons took over the business and saw the completion of the tractor project.

Early models

In 1925 the sons built the first authentic Italian tractor, a 30 hp machine. It was a success and was the forerunner of the viable range of Landini 40 and 50 hp models which appeared in the mid-1930s and were to become renowned under the names of Velite, Bufalo, and Super. The first production tractors were powered by a 40 hp

semi-diesel engine The hot-bulb engine is a type of internal combustion engine in which fuel ignites by coming in contact with a red-hot metal surface inside a bulb, followed by the introduction of air (oxygen) compressed into the hot-bulb chamber by the rising p ...

which was a

two stroke A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a power cycle with two strokes (up and down movements) of the piston during one power cycle, this power cycle being completed in one revolution of t ...

single-cylinder unit. The company continued to produce semi-diesel engined tractors until 1957. When

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

started, the production stopped.

Diversification

In 1959, the first Landini crawler tractor, the C35, was manufactured, and the company was purchased 100% by

Massey Ferguson Massey Ferguson Limited is an American agricultural machinery manufacturer. The company was established in 1953 through the merger of farm equipment makers Massey-Harris of Canada and the Ferguson Company of the United Kingdom. It was based in T ...

. In 1973, Landini launched the 500 Series of 2 and 4 wheeled tractors. 1980 saw the company diversifying its products as well as specializing. Also in 1980, Landini started work on a vineyard tractor. In 1986 the new vineyard tractor was launched. in 1988, the company launched a redesigned series of tractors, the 60, 70, 80 Series.

Takeover

In 1989 Landini became a part of

ARGO SpA ARGO SpA is a family-owned Italian holding company owned by the Morra family that manufactures agricultural machinery. Founded by Valerio Morra in 1980, the company is based in Fabbrico, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. ARGO main products are tractors and ...

sold 66% of the company. Massey itself was bought by

AGCO AGCO Corporation is an American agricultural machinery manufacturer founded in 1990 and with its headquarters in Duluth, Georgia, United States. AGCO designs, produces and sells tractors, combines, foragers, hay tools, self-propelled sprayers, ...

in 1994, while ARGO purchased more shares of Landini that year.Page 5
The final 9% of Landini that was owned by AGCO was bought by ARGO in 2000. Landini/ARGO continued supplying some tractors to AGCO under a supply agreement.

References

External links

{{commons category, Landini tractors
Company website

Argo Spa

ARGO SpA Agricultural machinery manufacturers of Italy Tractor manufacturers of Italy Italian brands Manufacturing companies established in 1884 1884 establishments in Italy

Early models

Diversification

Takeover

See also

References

External links