Fiat Hitachi - When Italy met Japan
Image: Fiat Hitachi EX 355. Photo by Kaminski (Italian Wikipedia), licence CC BY-SA 3.0.
Fiat Hitachi - when Italy met Japan
The combination of an Italian industrial conglomerate and a Japanese engineering company may seem unlikely - but Fiat Hitachi became one of the more successful partnerships in construction equipment during the 1980s and 90s. The machines were built in Europe, with Japanese technology, and sold worldwide under a shared brand.
In this post we look at how the partnership came about, what it produced, and why the Fiat Hitachi brand eventually disappeared.
Key facts
- Joint venture formed: 1986
- Partners: Fiat S.p.A. (Italy) and Hitachi Construction Machinery (Japan)
- Production: Crespellano, near Bologna, Italy
- Machine types: Excavators, wheel loaders and construction machinery
- Brand dissolved: Early 2000s - operations transferred separately to CNH and Hitachi
The background - why Fiat and Hitachi?
In the 1980s, the European machinery industry faced pressure from Japanese manufacturers who had come to dominate the market for compact and mid-size excavators. Japanese hydraulic technology and precision manufacturing set a new standard - and European manufacturers needed to either adapt or collaborate.
For Fiat, the machinery sector was part of a much broader industrial empire that included cars, trucks, agricultural machinery and heavy industry. Fiat's machinery division - known as Fiat Allis in partnership with American Allis-Chalmers - had experience in construction equipment but lacked competitive hydraulic excavator technology.
Hitachi Construction Machinery, on the other hand, was an established excavator manufacturer in Japan with strong technical expertise, but was looking for a route into the European market through local production and a European partnership.
The solution was a joint venture: Fiat Hitachi Excavators S.p.A., founded in 1986, with production based in Crespellano in the Emilia-Romagna region, near Bologna. The plant built on Fiat's existing industrial infrastructure in the region and integrated Hitachi's designs and hydraulic technology.
Products and models
EX series - crawler excavators
The EX series was the core of Fiat Hitachi's product range. Models such as the EX135, EX165, EX215 and EX355 covered weight classes from just over 10 tonnes up to heavier construction machines. The designs were based on Hitachi's proven platforms.
FH series - excavators
The FH series was Fiat Hitachi's own model programme, with machines in various configurations. The model designation indicates the machine type: the LC suffix denotes crawler excavators (for example the FH 200 LC and FH 220 LC), while the W suffix denotes wheeled excavators (for example the FH 200 W). The models covered weight classes from just under 15 tonnes up to just over 20 tonnes.
Wheel loaders
Fiat Hitachi also manufactured wheel loaders under the W series. These were more directly linked to Fiat's and Fiat Allis's earlier platforms but with updated hydraulics and technology from the partnership.
Sources: LECTURA Specs; Machineryline.
Timeline - Fiat Hitachi through the years
Fiat Hitachi Excavators S.p.A. is established as a joint venture between Fiat and Hitachi Construction Machinery. Production is set up in Crespellano, Bologna.
The first machines under the shared brand reach the market. The EX series and FH series are introduced and establish themselves in European civil construction.
The product range expands with additional weight classes and model variants. Fiat Hitachi machines sell widely across Europe and are exported to other markets. The EX series and FH series are the central products during this period.
Fiat restructures its machinery operations. CNH Global (Case New Holland) is formed and takes over parts of Fiat's machinery division. The joint venture with Hitachi changes in line with the new ownership structures.
The Fiat Hitachi brand is phased out. The Crespellano factory continues under Hitachi Construction Machinery Europe (HCME). Machines are subsequently badged as Hitachi only.
Fiat Hitachi machines from the 1990s are still in operation across Europe. The availability of spare parts is what determines how long they can be kept working.
Sources: CNH Industrial history; Hitachi Construction Machinery official history.
Fiat Hitachi parts at Agrocon
We regularly dismantle machines and make parts available for owners who want to keep their Fiat Hitachi running. When we take in a machine, every part is inspected, photographed and registered in stock.
If you have a Fiat Hitachi and are looking for a specific part - get in touch directly or search the stock. The availability of used parts for these machines is limited.
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Read more about Hitachi
Fiat Hitachi machines share a technical foundation with Hitachi's own models. In our post about Hitachi we cover the company's history, machine series and which models we stock spare parts for.