Principles of Consolidation	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure	Principles of Consolidation and Nature of Operations The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and the accounts of Hyster-Yale's wholly owned domestic and international subsidiaries and majority-owned joint ventures (collectively, "Hyster-Yale" or the "Company"). All intercompany accounts and transactions among the consolidated companies are eliminated in consolidation. The Company, through its wholly owned operating subsidiary, Hyster-Yale Group, Inc. ("HYG"), designs, engineers, manufactures, sells and services a comprehensive line of lift trucks and aftermarket parts marketed globally primarily under the Hyster^® and Yale^® brand names, mainly to independent Hyster^® and Yale^® retail dealerships. Lift trucks and component parts are manufactured in the United States, China, Northern Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Italy, Vietnam, Japan and Brazil. The sale of service parts represents approximately 13% of total revenues as reported for each of 2018, 2017 and 2016. The Company operates Bolzoni S.p.A. ("Bolzoni"). Bolzoni is a leading worldwide producer and distributor of attachments, forks and lift tables marketed under the Bolzoni Auramo^® and Meyer^® brand names. Bolzoni products are manufactured in Italy, China, Germany, Finland and the United States. Through the design, production and distribution of a wide range of attachments, Bolzoni has a strong presence in the market niche of lift-truck attachments and industrial material handling. In 2018, the Company announced, as part of a plan to expand Bolzoni's capabilities in the United States, Bolzoni's North America attachment manufacturing will be moved into HYG's Sulligent, Alabama manufacturing facility over the course of 2019. As a result, effective January 1, 2019, the Sulligent facility became a Bolzoni facility. As of December 31, 2018, the Sulligent facility has been included in the lift truck operations within this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The Company will reclassify the historical results of the Sulligent facility for 2019 reporting beginning with the first quarter 2019 Form 10-Q. The Company operates Nuvera Fuel Cells, LLC ("Nuvera"). Nuvera is an alternative-power technology company focused on hydrogen fuel-cell stacks and engines. On June 1, 2018, the Company completed the acquisition of the majority interest in Zhejiang Maximal Forklift Co., Ltd. ("Maximal"). Maximal is a Chinese manufacturer of utility and standard lift trucks and specialized material handling equipment involved in the design, manufacture, service and distribution of Class 1 electric and Class 5 internal combustion engine counterbalance utility and standard platforms, and Class 2 and Class 3 electric warehouse products for both the local China and global markets under the Maximal brand. Maximal also designs and produces specialized products in the port equipment and rough terrain forklift markets. The results of Maximal are included in the JAPIC segment since the date of acquisition. Investments in Sumitomo NACCO Forklift Co., Ltd. ("SN"), a 50% owned joint venture, and HYG Financial Services, Inc. ("HYGFS"), a 20% owned joint venture, are accounted for by the equity method. SN operates manufacturing facilities in Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam from which the Company purchases certain components, service parts and lift trucks. Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. owns the remaining 50% interest in SN. Each stockholder of SN is entitled to appoint directors representing 50% of the vote of SN’s board of directors. All matters related to policies and programs of operation, manufacturing and sales activities require mutual agreement between the Company and Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. prior to a vote of SN’s board of directors. HYGFS is a joint venture with Wells Fargo Financial Leasing, Inc. ("WF"), formed primarily for the purpose of providing financial services to independent Hyster^® and Yale^® lift truck dealers and National Account customers in the United States. National Account customers are large customers with centralized purchasing and geographically dispersed operations in multiple dealer territories. The Company’s percentage share of the net income or loss from these equity investments is reported on the line “Income from unconsolidated affiliates” in the “Other income (expense)” portion of the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Principles of Consolidation and Nature of Operations

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and the accounts of Hyster-Yale's wholly owned domestic and international subsidiaries and majority-owned joint ventures (collectively, "Hyster-Yale" or the "Company"). All intercompany accounts and transactions among the consolidated companies are eliminated in consolidation.

The Company, through its wholly owned operating subsidiary, Hyster-Yale Group, Inc. ("HYG"), designs, engineers, manufactures, sells and services a comprehensive line of lift trucks and aftermarket parts marketed globally primarily under the Hyster^® and Yale^® brand names, mainly to independent Hyster^® and Yale^® retail dealerships. Lift trucks and component parts are manufactured in the United States, China, Northern Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Italy, Vietnam, Japan and Brazil. The sale of service parts represents approximately 13% of total revenues as reported for each of 2018, 2017 and 2016.

The Company operates Bolzoni S.p.A. ("Bolzoni"). Bolzoni is a leading worldwide producer and distributor of attachments, forks and lift tables marketed under the Bolzoni Auramo^® and Meyer^® brand names. Bolzoni products are manufactured in Italy, China, Germany, Finland and the United States. Through the design, production and distribution of a wide range of attachments, Bolzoni has a strong presence in the market niche of lift-truck attachments and industrial material handling.

In 2018, the Company announced, as part of a plan to expand Bolzoni's capabilities in the United States, Bolzoni's North America attachment manufacturing will be moved into HYG's Sulligent, Alabama manufacturing facility over the course of 2019. As a result, effective January 1, 2019, the Sulligent facility became a Bolzoni facility. As of December 31, 2018, the Sulligent facility has been included in the lift truck operations within this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The Company will reclassify the historical results of the Sulligent facility for 2019 reporting beginning with the first quarter 2019 Form 10-Q.

The Company operates Nuvera Fuel Cells, LLC ("Nuvera"). Nuvera is an alternative-power technology company focused on hydrogen fuel-cell stacks and engines.

On June 1, 2018, the Company completed the acquisition of the majority interest in Zhejiang Maximal Forklift Co., Ltd. ("Maximal"). Maximal is a Chinese manufacturer of utility and standard lift trucks and specialized material handling equipment involved in the design, manufacture, service and distribution of Class 1 electric and Class 5 internal combustion engine counterbalance utility and standard platforms, and Class 2 and Class 3 electric warehouse products for both the local China and global markets under the Maximal brand. Maximal also designs and produces specialized products in the port equipment and rough terrain forklift markets. The results of Maximal are included in the JAPIC segment since the date of acquisition.

Investments in Sumitomo NACCO Forklift Co., Ltd. ("SN"), a 50% owned joint venture, and HYG Financial Services, Inc. ("HYGFS"), a 20% owned joint venture, are accounted for by the equity method. SN operates manufacturing facilities in Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam from which the Company purchases certain components, service parts and lift trucks. Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. owns the remaining 50% interest in SN. Each stockholder of SN is entitled to appoint directors representing 50% of the vote of SN’s board of directors. All matters related to policies and programs of operation, manufacturing and sales activities require mutual agreement between the Company and Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. prior to a vote of SN’s board of directors. HYGFS is a joint venture with Wells Fargo Financial Leasing, Inc. ("WF"), formed primarily for the purpose of providing financial services to independent Hyster^® and Yale^® lift truck dealers and National Account customers in the United States. National Account customers are large customers with centralized purchasing and geographically dispersed operations in multiple dealer territories. The Company’s percentage share of the net income or loss from these equity investments is reported on the line “Income from unconsolidated affiliates” in the “Other income (expense)” portion of the Consolidated Statements of Operations.