Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements - Schedule of Impact of Restatements on Consolidated Statements of Operations (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Error Corrections And Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net revenues	$ 56,464	$ 39,131	$ 148,634	$ 132,106
Cost of sales	46,591	32,589	121,965	108,658
Gross profit	9,873	6,542	26,669	23,448
Operating expenses
Research and development costs	619	725	1,902	2,203
Selling, general and administrative expenses	8,282	8,985	25,797	27,473
Total operating expenses	8,901	9,710	27,699	29,676
Operating income (loss)	972	(3,168)	(1,030)	(6,228)
Other income (expense)
Interest expense	(1,716)	(1,384)	(4,498)	(4,658)
Interest expense related to write off of debt issuance costs				(1,439)
Foreign currency transaction loss	(799)	(82)	(1,138)	(991)
Other income	18	281	361	883
Total other expense	(2,497)	(1,185)	(5,275)	(6,205)
Income (loss) before income taxes and income (loss) in equity interest from continuing operations	(1,525)	(4,353)	(6,305)	(12,433)
Income tax (benefit) expense from continuing operations	281	(691)	416	(958)
Income (loss) from equity investments, net of taxes	284	(5,673)	284	(5,752)
Net (loss) income from continuing operations		(9,335)		(17,227)
Discontinued operations
Loss from operations of discontinued operations (including) loss on disposal for the nine months 2017 of $1,133 and losses on disposal of $9,503 and $7,291 for the three and nine months 2016, respectively)		(9,608)	(573)	(4,745)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(15)	4,145	(28)	1,259
(Loss) income on discontinued operations		(13,753)		(6,004)
Net loss	(1,507)	(23,088)	(6,982)	(23,231)
Net loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interest		(294)		(566)
Net loss attributable to shareholders of Manitex International, Inc.	$ (1,507)	$ (23,382)	$ (7,256)	$ (23,797)
Earnings (loss) Per Share Basic
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to shareholders of Manitex International, Inc.	$ (0.09)	$ (0.58)	$ (0.39)	$ (1.07)
Loss from discontinued operations attributable to shareholders of Manitex International, Inc.	0.00	(0.87)	(0.05)	(0.41)
Net earnings (loss) attributable to shareholders of Manitex International, Inc.	(0.09)	(1.45)	(0.44)	(1.48)
Earnings (loss) Per Share Diluted
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to shareholders of Manitex International, Inc.	(0.09)	(0.58)	(0.39)	(1.07)
Loss from discontinued operations attributable to shareholders of Manitex International, Inc.	0.00	(0.87)	(0.05)	(0.41)
Net earnings (loss) attributable to shareholders of Manitex International, Inc.	$ (0.09)	$ (1.45)	$ (0.44)	$ (1.48)
Weighted average common shares outstanding
Basic	16,573,927	16,127,346	16,532,683	16,119,578
Diluted	16,573,927	16,127,346	16,532,683	16,119,578
AS Previously Reported on Form 10-Q [Member]
Error Corrections And Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net revenues		$ 74,131		$ 272,769
Cost of sales		62,476		225,824
Gross profit		11,655		46,945
Operating expenses
Research and development costs		1,238		4,091
Selling, general and administrative expenses		11,378		38,574
Total operating expenses		12,616		42,665
Operating income (loss)		(961)		4,280
Other income (expense)
Interest expense		(2,667)		(9,407)
Interest expense related to write off of debt issuance costs				(1,439)
Foreign currency transaction loss		(103)		(580)
Other income		2		2,834
Total other expense		(2,768)		(8,592)
Income (loss) before income taxes and income (loss) in equity interest from continuing operations		(3,729)		(4,312)
Income tax (benefit) expense from continuing operations		(3,813)		(4,421)
Income (loss) from equity investments, net of taxes		(5,673)		(5,752)
Net (loss) income from continuing operations		(5,589)		(5,643)
Discontinued operations
Loss from operations of discontinued operations (including) loss on disposal for the nine months 2017 of $1,133 and losses on disposal of $9,503 and $7,291 for the three and nine months 2016, respectively)		(9,987)		(9,987)
Income tax expense (benefit)		4,688		4,688
(Loss) income on discontinued operations		(14,675)		(14,675)
Net loss		(20,264)		(20,318)
Net loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interest		(294)		(566)
Net loss attributable to shareholders of Manitex International, Inc.		$ (20,558)		$ (20,884)
Earnings (loss) Per Share Basic
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to shareholders of Manitex International, Inc.		$ (0.36)		$ (0.38)
Loss from discontinued operations attributable to shareholders of Manitex International, Inc.		(0.91)		(0.91)
Net earnings (loss) attributable to shareholders of Manitex International, Inc.		(1.27)		(1.29)
Earnings (loss) Per Share Diluted
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to shareholders of Manitex International, Inc.		(0.36)		(0.38)
Loss from discontinued operations attributable to shareholders of Manitex International, Inc.		(0.91)		(0.91)
Net earnings (loss) attributable to shareholders of Manitex International, Inc.		$ (1.27)		$ (1.29)
Weighted average common shares outstanding
Basic		16,127,346		16,119,578
Diluted		16,127,346		16,119,578
Effect of Reclassifying Entities into Discontinued Operations [Member]
Error Corrections And Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net revenues		$ (34,506)		$ (127,541)
Cost of sales		(29,512)		(106,796)
Gross profit		(4,994)		(20,745)
Operating expenses
Research and development costs		(513)		(1,888)
Selling, general and administrative expenses		(2,403)		(11,111)
Total operating expenses		(2,916)		(12,999)
Operating income (loss)		(2,078)		(7,746)
Other income (expense)
Interest expense		1,399		4,865
Foreign currency transaction loss		22		(410)
Other income		278		(1,952)
Total other expense		1,699		2,503
Income (loss) before income taxes and income (loss) in equity interest from continuing operations		(379)		(5,243)
Income tax (benefit) expense from continuing operations		543		3,428
Net (loss) income from continuing operations		(922)		(8,671)
Discontinued operations
Loss from operations of discontinued operations (including) loss on disposal for the nine months 2017 of $1,133 and losses on disposal of $9,503 and $7,291 for the three and nine months 2016, respectively)		379		5,242
Income tax expense (benefit)		(543)		(3,429)
(Loss) income on discontinued operations		922		8,671
Reversal of Sales to SVW [Member]
Error Corrections And Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net revenues		(495)		(13,123)
Cost of sales		(142)		(10,388)
Gross profit		(353)		(2,735)
Operating expenses
Operating income (loss)		(353)		(2,735)
Other income (expense)
Income (loss) before income taxes and income (loss) in equity interest from continuing operations		(353)		(2,735)
Net (loss) income from continuing operations		(353)		(2,735)
Discontinued operations
Net loss		(353)		(2,735)
Net loss attributable to shareholders of Manitex International, Inc.		(353)		(2,735)
Recording Payments Made by SVW to Lenders [Member]
Other income (expense)
Interest expense		(116)		(116)
Total other expense		(116)		(116)
Income (loss) before income taxes and income (loss) in equity interest from continuing operations		(116)		(116)
Net (loss) income from continuing operations		(116)		(116)
Discontinued operations
Net loss		(116)		(116)
Net loss attributable to shareholders of Manitex International, Inc.		(116)		(116)
Cumulative Income Tax Effect [Member]
Other income (expense)
Income tax (benefit) expense from continuing operations		2,579		34
Net (loss) income from continuing operations		(2,579)		(34)
Discontinued operations
Net loss		(2,579)		(34)
Net loss attributable to shareholders of Manitex International, Inc.		(2,579)		(34)
Other [Member]
Error Corrections And Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net revenues		1		1
Cost of sales		(233)		18
Gross profit		234		(17)
Operating expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses		10		10
Total operating expenses		10		10
Operating income (loss)		224		(27)
Other income (expense)
Foreign currency transaction loss		(1)		(1)
Other income		1		1
Income (loss) before income taxes and income (loss) in equity interest from continuing operations		224		(27)
Income tax (benefit) expense from continuing operations				1
Net (loss) income from continuing operations		224		(28)
Discontinued operations
Net loss		224		(28)
Net loss attributable to shareholders of Manitex International, Inc.		$ 224		$ (28)