The Fiatagri 55-90 was the smallest of the tractors in the 90 Series, the range FiatAgri introduced in 1984 to replace the 80 Series. It sat in the medium-low group of that family, which ran from the 55-90 up to the 85-90 Turbo, while the high-powered models started at the 115-90.
Fiatagri 55-90 at a glance
| Maker | FiatAgri (Modena, later partly Jesi) |
|---|---|
| Series | Fiat 90 Series |
| Launched | 1984 |
| Replaced | the Fiat 80 Series |
| Position in the range | smallest of the medium-low group |
| Medium-low group | 55-90, 60-90, 65-90, 70-90, 80-90, 85-90 Turbo |
| High-powered group | 115-90, 130-90 Turbo, 140-90 Turbo, 160-90 Turbo, 180-90 Turbo |
| Engines | new FIAT-IVECO 8000 Series units |
| Also sold as | Agrifull and Ford, then New Holland |
| European sales under New Holland | until 2003 |
There is no Wikipedia article on the 55-90 itself; the model appears in the 90 Series lists of the Fiat Trattori article in English and Italian. Those lists give its place in the range but no individual specifications, so the page stays at series level.
History of the Fiatagri 55-90
The range that replaced the 80 Series
In 1984 FiatAgri, as Fiat’s tractor business had been called since that year, presented the 90 Series. It replaced the 80 Series that had made Fiat the leading tractor maker in Europe a decade earlier, and it was a large family rather than a single model. The company split it into two groups: the medium-low tractors — 55-90, 60-90, 65-90, 70-90, 80-90 and 85-90 Turbo — and the high-powered machines from the 115-90 to the 180-90 Turbo. The whole range used the new FIAT-IVECO 8000 Series engines.
A small tractor in a big family
The 55-90 stood at the bottom of the medium-low group, which is why it is listed first among the models that made up the new generation. In the catalogue it came before the 60-90, 65-90, 70-90, 80-90 and 85-90 Turbo, and far below the 115-90 to 180-90 Turbo models of the high-powered group.
Sold under more than one badge
Like the rest of the 90 Series, the 55-90 was not confined to the FiatAgri name. Some models of the series were marketed as Agrifull and as Ford, and later as New Holland, which kept selling them in Europe until 2003. In 1986 FiatAgri also moved part of its tractor production from Modena to Jesi, so tractors of this generation came from more than one plant.
Design and features
- Entry point to the 90 Series: the smallest and simplest way into FiatAgri’s 1984 generation.
- New engine family: the FIAT-IVECO 8000 Series units used across the whole 90 range.
- Two-tier range: the series was deliberately split into medium-low and high-powered groups, and the 55-90 headed the first of them.
- Multi-badge sales: the same tractors were sold as Agrifull, Ford and later New Holland.
Fiatagri 55-90 versions
- 55-90: the base model, smallest of the medium-low group.
- 60-90, 65-90, 70-90, 80-90: the larger medium-low tractors.
- 85-90 Turbo: the turbocharged top of the medium-low group.
- High-powered 90 Series: 115-90 to 180-90 Turbo, a separate group above the 55-90’s class.
The 55-90 shared its generation with the 130-90 Turbo at the top of the range and with the 100-90 of the later bridge series. The tractor it replaced, the Fiat 980 of the 80 Series, has its own article. More tractors are in the Fiatagri collection.
Sources
- Fiat Trattori, English Wikipedia: 90 Series of 1984, the two groups, FIAT-IVECO 8000 engines, Agrifull, Ford and New Holland names
- Fiat Trattori, Italian Wikipedia: full model list of the 90 Series, FiatAgri name from 1984, production moved to Jesi in 1986
