Italian railways could boast fast trains like the ETR 200, but they were getting old and the Pendolino project was just in its early phases.

The first four prototypes, built at Savigliano, made their debut in 1967-1968: their power output 3,000 kW (4,000 hp) was respectable for the time, but they proved unable to hold the fast international services required for the new locomotive, and the bogies were limited to 180 km/h (110 mph).

They proved anyway that Italian industry could produce locomotive capable of more than 200 km/h (120 mph)[note 3] was registered on November 8, 1967, in the maiden trip Rome-Milan.

During 1974 two locomotives (units 056 and 057) were provided with a "shunt chopper" system (later the modifications applied were rolled back, making the two units identical to standard once again), while in 1975 the E.444.005 adopted a "full chopper" electronic system, which was later also adopted on the E.632/633 classes, and which granted a 5,000 kW (6,700 hp) peak power.

For example, only with the adoption of second-generation coaches, like the Grand Comfort type, trains driven by E.444 could replace the old ETR 300 in the Milan–Rome fast service.