Renault Agriculture S.A.S. () was the

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 ...

division of the French car manufacturer

Renault Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufacture ...

established in 1918 from its armored military vehicles division. While in operation, Renault Agriculture had various partnerships with major manufacturers and focussed production on

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 commo ...

s. The company was sold between 2003 and 2008 to German rival

Claas } CLAAS is an agricultural machinery manufacturer based in Harsewinkel, Germany, in the federal state of North Rhine Westphalia. Founded in 1913 by August Claas, CLAAS is a family business and one of the market and technology leaders in harv ...

. Renault Agriculture was dissolved in 2008 and its facilities became part of Claas' tractor division. Claas' tractor division and Renault's Auto Châssis International are Renault Agriculture successors.

History

After the end of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the

company used its experience in armored tanks to devise agricultural vehicles. The Renault's Department 14 (responsible for the FT tank) developed the first

of the company, the Type GP, which was powered by an engine similar to that of the FT (a four-cylinder) and had tracks. The most distinguishable differences of the new tractor with the FT were the

front-engine design In automotive design, a front-engine, front-wheel-drive (FWD) layout, or FF layout, places both the internal combustion engine and driven roadwheels at the front of the vehicle. Usage implications Historically, this designation was used reg ...

and the reduced weight. The tractors were assembled in Renault's Billancourt factory since 11 November 1918 on the same production lines that the tanks and tested at Louis Renault's farm in Herqueville. The Type HO introduced in 1921 replaced the tracks by more conventional wheels. In 1926, Renault introduced the Type PE which was extensively revised compared to its predecessors, incorporating a new engine with reduced consumes and a vertical radiator. In 1931, with the PE1, the radiator was moved from the middle position used in the previous models to the front and, in 1933, the model became the first France-produced rubber-wheeled tractor. The company also started to develop versions for specific markets, as vineyards. With the aim of reducing the fuel costs, it introduced its first diesel-engined model, the Type VI, in 1932. By 1938, Renault was producing about 40 tractors per month and was the largest French manufacturer. In 1920, Renault founded the Le Mans engineering centre. Shortly after, plans to move the agricultural machinery production to the new site were revealed. However, the new factory was inaugurated in 1940 and the production was stopped because of

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 opposing ...

. Following the war and nationalisation, the Le Mans plant resumed production. The location was divided into a foundry section, a mechanical parts section (supplying the factories of Flins and Billancourt), a painting section and a tractor manufacturing section. At the time, Le Mans was the third largest Renault's operation in France after Billancourt and

Cléon Cléon () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France. This city is known for its Renault factory, which manufactures engines and gearboxes. Two Renault engines are named after the city, the Cléon-Fo ...

. The following years saw the arrival of the D, N, E and Super model series. In 1956, Renault Agriculture standardised the orange colour for its models. In 1950, Renault was the largest tractor manufacturer within France, producing 8,549 units, the 58% of the country's total production. In 1961, Renault introduced the 385 model, with a 12-gear transmission. Apart from its own engines, Renault used MWM and

Perkins Perkins is a surname derived from the Anglo-Saxon corruption of the kin of Pierre (from Pierre kin to Pierrekin to Perkins), introduced into England by the Norman Conquest. It is found throughout mid- and southern England. Another derivation com ...

units. In the 1960s, it produced the One-Sixty Diesel for

Allis-Chalmers Allis-Chalmers was a U.S. manufacturer of machinery for various industries. Its business lines included agricultural equipment, construction equipment, power generation and power transmission equipment, and machinery for use in industrial set ...

. In 1968, the company introduced its first

four-wheel drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer cas ...

model. In 1972, Renault partnered with Carraro and sold some models of that company with the Renault badge. During the 1970s and 1980s, it also sold models from Mitsubishi. At the 1981 SIMA exhibition Renault Agriculture unveiled the TX range, with comfort elements designed in collaboration with the Renault's car division. The last Renault tractors had ancient gods' names. From late 1993 to 1998, Renault Agriculture and John Deere had a partnership agreement by which the former received John Deere engines manufactured at the Saran factory and in return it supplied John Deere with tractors marketed as the 3000 series. In 1994, Renault Agriculture and

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 ...

formed a strategic partnership, as part of which they set up an equally owned joint venture called Groupement International de Mécanique Agricole (GIMA) at a facility located next to Massey's Beauvais factory with the aim of manufacturing

transaxle A transaxle is a single mechanical device which combines the functions of an automobile's transmission, axle, and differential into one integrated assembly. It can be produced in both manual and automatic versions. Engine and drive at the s ...

s and related components. In 1995, Renault Agriculture agreed to market products from the British agricultural machinery manufacturer JCB through its dealership network in France. In 1997, the company took a 16.6% stake of

Rovigo Rovigo (, ; egl, Ruig) is a city and ''comune'' in the Veneto region of Northeast Italy, the capital of the eponymous province. Geography Rovigo stands on the low ground known as Polesine, by rail southwest of Venice and south-southwest of P ...

-based Agritalia, a manufacturer of orchard tractors for various clients. In 2000, it purchased a stake in the Indian manufacturer International Tractors (the owner of the Sonalika marque), forming a Sonalika-Renault joint venture. In 2003, as part of a plan to shed non-core assets, Renault sold a 51% majority stake in Renault Agriculture's tractor manufacturing plant to Claas. In 2006, Claas increased its ownership to 80% and in 2008 took full control and renamed it Claas Tractor. By 2005, the Renault marque was phased out and all the tractor models produced at Le Mans were badged as Claas.

Renault Agriculture's successors

Claas Tractor

Claas Tractor S.A.S. is a subsidiary of the Claas group and its main tractor manufacturing operation since 2003. Most of the company's models are manufactured within the facility.

ACI Renault

In 1999, Renault created the subsidiary Auto Châssis International SNC to manage the foundry and parts area of Le Mans. ACI has worldwide operations and supplies the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Production is organised in three departments. The site also has an engineering centre.

References

{{Good article Renault Agricultural machinery manufacturers of France Tractor manufacturers of France Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of France Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1918 1918 establishments in France Le Mans