Rethinking hardware: The combine harvester is a flagship product for CLAAS. And the latest generation of the LEXION has been completely re-engineered, in close collaboration with farmers, contractors, and drivers. The pioneering TERRA TRAC crawler track system offers maximum traction with reduced soil compaction. It features in a range of CLAAS models, including the AXION series of large tractors.

The predecessor: The DOMINATOR, which became one of the highest-selling combine harvesters in Europe, is likely the greatest testament to the technical creativity and vision of Helmut Claas. It was the first agricultural machine in the world developed as a modular system under the “simultaneous engineering” concept. The DOMINATOR was a “bread-and-butter” line launched in 1971. The first LEXION went on the market in 1996.

Unique concept: CLAAS entered the tractor market in the 1990s with the XERION 2500. The idea proposed by Helmut Claas was simple: “The tractor had to work in unison with the agricultural machine while offering the convenience of a self-driving model.”

CLAAS France S.A.S. is an ongoing success story on the French sales market. Helmut Claas had in-depth knowledge of the French market and, in the 1950s, was personally involved in the creation of the new company alongside his brother Reinhold Claas. With the backing and involvement of Helmut Claas, a baler plant was constructed in Woippy and the Renault Agriculture tractor plant was purchased. With his focus on international markets and good intuition, Helmut Claas plotted a course to establish CLAAS as a provider of the full range of agricultural machinery in what remains a key market.