If you mention Kenworth’s W900 to a trucker, it’s sure to bring a smile across their face – the big bold long hood, the plush and comfortable sleeper, the power and the 18 speeds propelling the truck down the highway. A truck that has won numerous awards for the countless truckers who display their W900s at truck shows. And, one that still holds strong nostalgia when seen on the screen in classics like Smokey and the Bandit, Movin’ On, and James Bond, License to Kill.
Perhaps that’s why nine, count ‘em NINE special edition W900s have been produced since it launched in 1963. Actually, make that 10, as Kenworth just announced the latest and last Limited Edition W900 – the Legacy. Just 1,000 will be built, serialized and counting down to number one, they’ll represent the end of an era. An era that has seen more than 280,000 of these iconic trucks crisscross highways, work in the woods, haul oil through the oil fields, and pour concrete for foundations. You name the job and it’s likely the W900 has done it.
To understand the W900’s place in history, you need to go back to 1963 when the truck was introduced to replace Kenworth’s 900 series. The “W” stood for Worthington, paying homage to the Kenworth cofounder. This was to be Kenworth’s mainstay conventional. Truck history enthusiasts will remember Kenworth’s K100 cabover. At the time, truck sales were split between conventionals and cabovers, with conventionals preferred in the western U.S. and cabovers favored out east. Ultimately, conventionals became the truck of choice as overall length laws relaxed in 1982.
To bring the W900 to life, Kenworth engineers designed an over-the-road model with bulkhead-style doors, cowl-mounted mirrors, a wider and taller cab, a new instrument panel, and new driver comforts. A 36-inch sleeper became available, followed by a 42-inch. And in 1974 came the 60-inch VIT (Very Important Truck) flattop, the largest sleeper of its day. Two years later, the Aerodyne sleeper was introduced, allowing a trucker to stand tall in a sleeper for the first time. Today, the W900 sleepers can be as large as 86 inches and include a sofa that folds out to a bed, plus enough storage to accommodate team drivers. Ahh….the Studio Sleeper.
Incremental changes came over the years, but it was the B-Cab in 1982 that created a lot of attention. The W900B brought aluminum construction, refined aerodynamics, and an upgraded suspension system to make it lighter and more fuel-efficient.
Seven years later, Kenworth created another stir when it introduced the W900L. This built upon the adage that bigger was better. The hood was 10 inches longer than the W900, allowing it to accommodate the highest horsepower engines. Best of all, it boosted aesthetics, giving truckers a bolder W9 that said they were arriving in style with the longest and sharpest-looking truck in the industry. A truck you could build a business around. Kenworth built a truck. You built a legacy. Order your W900 Legacy Edition today.
https://kenworth.com/w900legacy
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