The Senator, introduced in 1966, was not only larger than the earlier Matador Gigant but also clearly more modern in appearance and color. The smaller Mercator, introduced a year later, was largely based on the Senator’s technology. The Protector, in turn, was a simplified model of the Mercator. It was available with 4- or 6-cylinder engines (Deutz/Perkins). Protectors and Mercators were equipped with rather wide threshing mechanisms but had low-powered engines. The engines were positioned above the right front wheel. Unlike earlier Claas models, the driver sat on the combine’s centerline. The Senator and Mercator were Claas’s first combines to offer an optional cab. Comfort features were cut back in the Protector; for example, the steering column was fixed.

In 1972, the model range was updated and all models were renamed Mercators. Following Claas’s approach, these models used both Perkins and MB engines. Earlier, Deutz and Ford options had also been available. For the year 1975, the Senator’s successor Mercator 70 was replaced by the Mercator 75, which featured so-called straw accelerators with intensive straw walkers. In some countries, the Senator 85 was sold, which largely corresponded to the Mercator 75 model. In England, Senator 60 and 70 models were also sold, which roughly corresponded to Mercators with the same numbers.

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