A fifth wheel hitch apparatus for connecting a kingpin to a towing vehicle includes a mounting mechanism having plate and skirt portions with an opening for ingress and egress of the kingpin, and a clamping mechanism having opposing first and second clamp elements. A first resilient device biases first and second lever arms of the respective first and second clamp elements to displace the first and second clamp elements into an opened configuration. Direct contact of the kingpin with the first and second clamp elements pivotally and positively displaces the first and second clamp elements from the opened configuration to a closed configuration to cooperatively capture the kingpin therebetween. A biased locking mechanism is releasably retained in an unlocked configuration and locks the first and second clamp elements in the closed configuration. In a modified embodiment, the first and second clamp elements are connected together to also pivot relative to each other about a common third pivot axis.