The Fiat 980 was one of the tractors of the Fiat 80 Series, which Fiat launched in the mid-1970s. The range ran from the 580 up to the 1880, and it is remembered for two things: it was the first in the world to have a platform mounted on silent blocks, and its cab was styled as one with the tractor, by Pininfarina.
Fiat 980 at a glance
| Maker | Fiat Trattori (Modena) |
|---|---|
| Series | Fiat 80 Series |
| Launched | mid-1970s |
| Place in the range | between the 880/5 and the 1180 |
| Models of the series | 580, 680, 780, 880, 880/5, 980, 1080, 1180, 1280, 1380, 1580, 1880 |
| Five-cylinder model | 880/5 |
| Spain-only model | 1080, sold there as the “E” (España) |
| Top of the range | 1880 |
| Cab design | integrated with the tractor, by Pininfarina |
| Chassis detail | platform mounted on silent blocks, a world first |
No Wikipedia page is devoted to the 980: it is one of the models listed in the Fiat Trattori article in English and Italian, together with the description of the 80 Series. The record was created under the Fiatagri name, while the tractor itself was sold as a Fiat, before the FiatAgri name of 1984.
History of the Fiat 980
A range for the European market
In the mid-1970s Fiat replaced its earlier middle range with the 80 Series. The new tractors came with three, four, five and six cylinders: the 580, 680, 780, 880 and 980, the five-cylinder 880/5, then the 1080 — sold only in Spain, where it carried the letter “E” for España — and the larger 1180, 1280, 1380 and 1580, with the 1880 at the top. The 980 sat in the middle of that list, above the 880 and its five-cylinder sister.
Comfort as an engineering idea
The 80 Series is remembered less for a single model than for how it treated the driver. These were the first tractors in the world to have a platform mounted on silent blocks, which isolated the driver from the vibration of the engine and transmission, and their cab was styled as one unit with the tractor rather than added on afterwards. The design was the work of Pininfarina, and it gave the range a shape that stood apart from the tractor cabs of the previous generation.
The years around the launch
The 80 Series arrived when Fiat Trattori was at its strongest. In 1976 the company built more than 86,000 tractors and exported no fewer than 50,000 of them, against 15,488 exported in 1955. The 80 Series stayed in the catalogue until 1984, when the 90 Series took its place — the range that would later be sold as Agrifull, Ford and New Holland.
Design and features
- Platform on silent blocks: the 80 Series was the first tractor range in the world to use this arrangement, cutting vibration at the driver’s seat.
- Pininfarina cab: the cab was designed as one with the tractor instead of being an added structure.
- Wide choice of engines: the family ran from three to six cylinders, with the five-cylinder 880/5 in the middle.
- Middle of the range: the 980 was one of the mid-sized tractors, between the 880/5 and the six-cylinder 1180.
Fiat 980 versions
- 580, 680, 780: the smaller tractors of the range.
- 880 and 880/5: the four-cylinder model and its five-cylinder version.
- 980: the mid-range tractor described here.
- 1080: sold only in Spain, as the “E”.
- 1180, 1280, 1380, 1580: the larger models above it.
- 1880: the top of the range.
The 80 Series was replaced in 1984 by the 90 Series, whose models are covered in the articles on the 55-90, the 100-90 and the 130-90 Turbo. The smaller tractors of the following generation are described with the 45-66. More tractors are in the Fiatagri collection.
Video: Fiat 980 DT Turbo
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Fiat Trattori, English Wikipedia: 80 Series and its models, silent-block platform, Pininfarina cab, 1976 output
- Fiat Trattori, Italian Wikipedia: full model list with engine cylinder counts, the Spain-only 1080, 1976 export figures
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