Also on static display at the recent New Holland Grand Prix was one of a number of New Holland E215B excavators that the Italian fire service has recently taken delivery of following a series of tenders won by the Fiat Group's yellow brand.
This machine looked superb in its red fire service livery and certainly attracted a lot of attention from operators and the public who were attending the grand prix.
Of particular interest to me was the familiar European style triple articulation boom which is such a useful feature but one that is rarely seen in the UK except on "rubber ducks" or machines that have been imported from the continent.
Also note the narrow track pads fitted to this machine which are ideal when working on rocky terrain so often encountered in Italy.
The E215B tips the scales at 23 310 kg and features an environmentally friendly Tier 3A CNH 6 cylinder engine which produces a net flywheel power of 118 kW - 158 hp.
It can carry buckets ranging from 0.52 to 1.31 m3 and is piped to allow fitment of many other attachments.
The day after the main Grand Prix event the Italian fire brigade held their own competition in which the firemen competed in a single combined test on the various machines.
The winner of this fiercely competitive series of challenges was Angleo Vidori from Alessandria, and closely followed by Salvatore Mancuso from Turin and Umberto Gatti from Asti.
Here is a group photo of the fire brigade competitors and members of the excellent New Holland team with the stunning E215B in the background.
