In 1995 at Agritechnica, Fendt presented the world's first Vario transmission with the Favorit 926 Vario. Fendt set a new standard for continuously variable transmissions and driving comfort thirty years ago. This innovation is still considered unrivalled today and has contributed significantly to the global success of Fendt tractors. To mark the fourth and largest general meeting of the Fendt Classic Club International to date, over 300 Fendt enthusiasts gathered in Marktoberdorf, including key figures from the development of the Vario transmission.
"Since 2009, all Fendt tractors have had a Vario transmission, and this year, the new generation VarioDrive is available from the Fendt 500 Vario series onwards. However, this success story began much earlier," says Christoph Gröblinghoff, Vice President and Chairman of the Fendt Management Board, drawing a parallel between the five new series and the anniversary. 'We know that new tractors often benefit from the reputation of their predecessors, and as a brand, we benefit from the unique success of the Fendt Vario transmission."
The road to success is a long one
Thirty years and over 400,000 transmissions later, it is hard to believe that the first steps towards this bestseller were so rocky. 'Today the continuously variable transmission is well established, but the road to getting there was tough,' recalls Dr. Reiter, former long-time managing director of research and development. 'But one thing is clear: without Hans Marschall, the Vario transmission would not exist today.' Marschall, an engineer who worked for Fendt for over 30 years, dedicated his life to developing a continuously variable hydrostatic transmission for tractors. At the Hannover Messe trade fair in 1972, he found the final piece of the puzzle at Volvo. He combined an external power split via planetary gearboxes with Volvo's wide-angle hydrostats. However, this was not yet the breakthrough.
The Vario transmission – a life's work
After discussing the project with Dr.-Ing. E.h. Hermann Fendt, Marschall built a test transmission with three hydrostats in 1981. This was known as the 'Tristat'. In the mid-1980s, he installed his transmission temporarily in a tractor for road tests. 'The comparison test was quite a challenge for us. However, we were confident that our prototype would perform well. The comparison tractor had to shift gears 18 times under full load on the uphill section of the test track. We didn't have to shift gears at all. That's when we knew that our transmission could significantly improve comfort," recalls Richard Heindl, who joined Fendt as a young engineer and rode in the test tractor with Hans Marschall. A decade passed between the first test runs and series production. During this time, Marschall fell seriously ill and sadly did not live to see his transmission go into production. Dr Hermann Fendt, Richard Heindl and Robert Honzek then drove forward the development of the series-ready version.
A series-ready pioneer in a field of its own
The Vario transmission was met with scepticism initially, both internally at Fendt and among farmers. The production of the transmission required restructuring within the company.
Thirty years ago, the marketing and sales teams were tasked with introducing a world first to farmers. To achieve this, Fendt relied on a combination of the trade press, DLG tests and bold marketing. Manfred Neunaber, who was editor-in-chief of Profi magazine at the time, recalls his test drive report on the Vario transmission. While ploughing with the Fendt Favorit 926 Vario, he realised that he no longer needed to change gears. However, he also questioned whether this invention was truly necessary. 'My epiphany came when I switched from the Fendt Favorit 926 Vario to a tractor with a manual transmission, the Fendt Favorit 515 C with a four-speed powershift,' he recalls. That's when I realised how often you actually reach for the gear lever,' he recalls. As well as the added comfort, he was impressed by the limit force control, which enables you to always drive within the optimum range. Neunaber was not the only one who initially struggled with the Vario transmission. In the longest audio conference of his career, he spent eight hours discussing the Fendt Vario transmission in depth.
Manfred Lober, head of the tractor and vehicle department at the DLG testing centre in Groß-Umstadt, put the Vario transmission to the test. The transmission, engine and tractor underwent careful testing and measurement over a period of four months. The final assessment: 'At the time, I would not have believed that Fendt was capable of producing such an outstanding transmission ready for series production,' admits Lober. 'My expectations were exceeded. It was truly sensational.' According to Andreas Loewel, the former head of sales at Fendt Germany, this success was promoted in subsequent years with the sales slogan, 'Are you driving yet, or still changing gears?' Progressive customers were immediately interested, and the Vario transmission ultimately won them over with increased comfort and fuel efficiency.
The development and marketing departments weren't the only ones who had to adapt to the new technology. Production suddenly had to meet completely new requirements, too. 'We were faced with new demands and investments, such as machining centres and measuring tools, and our employees had to familiarise themselves with a new type of hydrostatic energy,' reports Wilhelm Rehm, former managing director of Fendt Production. 'We rolled up our sleeves, assembled a motivated team, and the employees took a lot of initiative to ensure that we could produce the first prototypes and bring tractors to market.'
About the Fendt Vario transmission
The journey of the tractors begins at the Fendt transmission plant, where all Fendt Vario transmissions have been manufactured and assembled since 1995, from individual sun gears to finished transmissions. The Vario transmission is now installed in all Fendt tractors worldwide, ranging from the fully electric Fendt e100 Vario and the small Fendt 200 V Vario with 70 hp to the largest Vario transmission, which weighs 4.5 tonnes and is installed in the most powerful Vario ever: the Fendt 1167 Vario MT tracked tractor with 673 hp.
At Agritechnica 2025, Fendt will exhibit five new tractor series alongside other machines from its green and gold harvesting technology range.
- Fendt 300 Vario
- Fendt 500 Vario
- Fendt 700 Vario Gen7.1
- Fendt 800 Vario
- Fendt 1000 Vario
The Fendt Classic Club International will also be present at the Fendt stand in Hall 20, showcasing a Fendt Favorit 926 Vario.
Abou the Fendt Classic Club International e.V.
The Fendt Classic Club International was founded on 27 October 2021 by the Fendt management and now has more than 800 members. The association's primary objective is to breathe life into the company's extensive over 90-year history and unite Fendt fans, collectors, and enthusiasts from around the globe. The association is also committed to preserving and honouring historic, iconic and powerful tractor models from the Fendt brand. Further information is available at:
