Claas can justifiably claim to be Europe’s leader in harvesting technology. In the early 1920s their patented knotter was giving them the edge in straw trussing equipment. In the 1930s they began to develop combine harvesters suitable for European conditions, a development that gathered pace after 1945. As Richard Godwin writes in his Foreword, “in 1998, the Claas Dominator combine, which had been on sale for 25 years, was the most successful combine harvester model of all time.”

The company is also noted for its forage harvesters, balers and, more recently, tractors. This large-format, generously illustrated book covers fully the development of the combine and other agricultural machinery. It also deals with the wider history of the company: its marketing, structure and its role as a successful family enterprise typical of the best of German industry. Finally there are useful appendices giving production details of Claas combines.

Translated from the German by William Howard with an Introduction by Oliver Walston.