The story
Founded by Hermann Fendt in 1930, in Marktoberdorf.1
Company origins and history to 1950
The craftsman family Fendt traces its history back some 350 years. The family became well known in Allgäu for producing tower clocks, lead strings and violins. The family also farmed as a sideline and had a small trade in agricultural equipment. Johann Georg Fendt (1868–1933) took over his father Franz Xaver's business in 1898 and began selling and servicing Deutz stationary engines.
Prior to 1928, Johann's oldest son Xaver (1907–1989) was employed at Deutz and BMW, while Hermann (1911–1995) continued to help their father operate the family farm and the engine business.
In 1928, Xaver returned home, and he, his brother Herman, and their father Johann extended their business into agricultural utility machines by building a motorized grass mower.
In 1930 they built their first 4.5 kW (6 hp) "Dieselross" tractor ("Ross" being the German word for a horse of quality as opposed to just an ordinary horse).
In 1937, the company was listed in the Kempten (Allgäu) commercial register under the name "Xaver Fendt & Co., Maschinen- und Schlepperfabrik". Xaver and Hermann became shareholders; their mother Kreszentia acted as a limited partner.
In 1938, the Fendt brothers built the Dieselross F 22 with up to 16 kW (22 hp); Dieselross tractors developed into a series that continued until 1958.
In 1942, the company faced great challenges as the Nazi government prohibited the construction of liquid-fuelled tractors as a result of the shortage of raw materials. In response, Fendt designed a wood gas tractor Dieselross G25, which had a standard generator and Deutz unit gas engine. They produced a total of 1,497 of these wood gas tractors between 1942 and 1949.
In 1948, the Fendt brothers were able to regain control of the company when they were established as trustees by the US military government that had been installed after World War II.
Read the full text
1950s to 1970s
In 1950, production of the model F15 began, and the factory was producing 300 units per month. On 12 August 1950, the company produced its 10,000th tractor.
1955 saw the company produce its 50,000th unit.
In 1958 Fendt introduced their "ff" tractor series with the types Favorite, Farmer and Fix, offering engine power from 11 kW (15 hp) to 60 kW (80 hp). The Favorite 1 was trendsetting in transmission design and build.
Fendt's 100,000th tractor was produced in 1961; to represent that milestone, they selected a Farmer 2 tractor and painted it gold.
1970s to the present
In 1970, Fendt created its first universal transporter loader wagon, the Agrobil S model. This year also marked the beginning of cabin production in Asbach-Bäumenheim, following the acquisition of Maschinenfabrik Josef Dechentreiter business unit there and the power of its 800 employees.
In 1980, a renaming to Fendt GmbH was enacted in order to meet the contemporary requirements for a commercial enterprise.
In 1985, Fendt achieved first place in the registration statistics for West Germany for the first time with 6,388 tractors sold and a market share of 18.4 percent.
In 1993, the 800 Series became the world's first tractor to feature a hydropneumatic suspended cab and front axle, providing premier comfort at its roading speed all the way up to 50 km/h.
In 1994, Fendt introduced the first mid-size tractor with a suspended front axle with the Favorite 500C.
In 1995, the company introduced its Vario Class, featuring innovative gearbox (transmission) technology, making, it the world's first large tractor with the stepless continuously variable transmission.
In 1996, the five heirs of Xaver and Hermann Fendt decided to sell the family business. At the end of January 1997, it transferred all shares of Fendt to AGCO. Since 1997, Fendt has operated as wholly owned brand of AGCO Corporation and its agricultural equipment reaches a global market.
In 2009, the Fendt 200 series was offered for the first time with a Vario transmission which cemented Fendt as the first and only brand of tractor globally that featured a continuously variable transmission throughout its entire tractor lineup; 70-360 hp.
In 2016, Fendt produced its 250,000th Vario transmission.
In 2018, Fendt had the largest share in the European tractor market. Fendt was the market leader by ownership in Germany with a share of 24.2% in 2018. In the annual image barometer published by the DLG, in which German contractors and farmers are surveyed about agricultural engineering companies, Fendt took first place in 2013 with 99.3 out of a possible 100 points.
CLIMMAR, an organization that publishes annual Dealer Satisfaction Index for nearly all Ag Equipment brands, has placed Fendt at an average measure of at least 14.1 in 8 of the last 10 years of survey (2011–2021) out of a maximum index of 15. The company is a member of the VDMA, Department of Agricultural Engineering.
As of 2022 Fendt showcases a product range that includes tractors, forage harvesters, combine harvesters, self-propelled sprayers, hay tools, row-crop planters, front end tractor loaders, and telescoping material handlers.
In August 2024, the company began production of the 600 Vario Gen1 which featured an AGCO Power CORE50 4-cylinder engine under their hood paired with the VarioDrive transmission.
In August 2025, the company announced the release of five new tractor models to the product lineup out of the Marktoberdorf factory. The new model lineup included the 300 Vario Gen5, the 500 Vario Gen4, the 700 Vario Gen7.1, the 800 Vario Gen5, and the 1000 Vario Gen4.
From Wikipedia’s article on Fendt, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4