Kenworth
Kenworth Truck Company is an American truck manufacturer. Founded in 1923 as the successor to Gersix Motor Company, Kenworth specializes in production of heavy-duty and medium-duty commercial vehicles. Headquartered in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland, Washington, Kenworth has been a wholly owned subsidiary of PACCAR since 1945, operating alongside sister company Peterbilt Motors.
Kenworth marked several firsts in truck production; the company introduced a raised-roof sleeper cab, and the first heavy-duty truck with an aerodynamically optimized body design. The Kenworth W900 has been produced continuously since 1961, serving as one of the longest production runs of any vehicle in automotive history. The K100 was also released in 1961.
History
1912-1923: Gerlinger Motors
Kenworth traces its roots to the 1912 founding of Gerlinger Motors in Portland, Oregon; the company was a car and truck dealership owned by brothers George T. Gerlinger and Louis Gerlinger, Jr. In 1914, the brothers expanded into vehicle manufacturing, marketing a truck named the Gersix. Deriving its name from its inline six-cylinder engine, the Gersix was framed in structural steel, intended for commercial use.While the first vehicle was completed largely as a side project, the heavy-duty construction of the Gersix found itself in demand by loggers in the Northwest. In 1916, Gerlinger Motors relocated from Portland to Tacoma, Washington, leasing a building from Seattle businessman Edgar K. Worthington.
In 1917, Gerlinger Motors filed for bankruptcy and was put up for sale, with E.K. Worthington acquiring the company with business partner Captain Frederick Kent. To emphasize its connection to truck manufacturing, the company was renamed Gersix Motor Company. In 1919, Captain Kent retired, with his son Harry Kent replacing him as partner in the company.
In 1922, Gersix produced 53 trucks in its final year located at its factory on Fairview Avenue at Valley Street. Following continued strong demand of the model line, the company found itself with $60,000 to reincorporate and relocate its headquarters.
1923-1930s: Kenworth Motor Truck Company
In January 1923, Gersix Motor Company was reincorporated as the Kenworth Motor Truck Company, combining the names of partners Kent and Worthington. Under the new name, the company relocated within Seattle to 506 Mercer Street, and later to 1263 Mercer Street. In contrast to car manufacturers, Kenworth abstained from assembly lines, instead constructing vehicles in individual bays. The company also introduced a practice of building vehicles to customer specification.In 1926, Kenworth expanded its product line, introducing its first bus. In 1927, production was increased from two vehicles a week to three; the same year, manufacturing began in Canada.
In 1929, E.K. Worthington retired, with Harry Kent becoming company president. In another change, to accommodate increased demand, Kenworth relocated to a larger factory within Seattle.
The onset of the Great Depression hit the company hard; initially in good financial health, a substantial decline in new vehicles and a high rate of vehicle loan defaults forced the company to adapt. In 1932, Kenworth produced its first fire truck; adapted from its commercial truck, Kenworth fire engines were among the heaviest-duty fire apparatus of the time.
In 1933, diesel engines became standard equipment, replacing gasoline engines entirely; at the time, diesel fuel cost the price of gasoline. In another design innovation, Kenworth introduced the first factory-produced sleeper cab.
In 1935, the Motor Carrier Act was passed, introducing new size and weight regulations for the trucking industry in the United States; to comply with the legislation, Kenworth underwent an extensive redesign of its truck line. To match weight regulations, the new trucks received aluminum cabs and axle hubs; four-spring suspension was introduced, with torsion bars for the rear axles. In 1936, Kenworth introduced the Model 516, its first cabover truck; the tandem-axle 346 was introduced for 1937. In 1937, Harry Kent died, with Philip Johnson becoming company president.
1940s: War production and company sale
In 1939, Kenworth introduced its 500-series trucks, which would form the basis of its commercial truck line into the mid-1950s. By the end of the 1930s, demand for trucks began to recover, with Kenworth producing 226 trucks in 1940.Following the onset of World War II, Kenworth converted to war production, supplying the Army with 4-ton 6x6 M-1 recovery vehicles. In 1943, the company became a supplier for Boeing, manufacturing components for the B–17 and B– 29 bombers. To maintain its government contracts, Kenworth commenced production of the M-1 wrecker at a temporary facility in Yakima, Washington. In total, the company would supply the Army with 1,930 wreckers by the end of World War II; to accommodate the extensive increase in production, Kenworth introduced an assembly line to produce the vehicle.
In 1944, company president Phil Johnson died, leaving ownership split between his wife, Harry Kent’s widow, and another company director. Uninterested in owning the company, all three initially planned to offer their ownership to company employees, but financing for the offer was never completed. In 1945, Pacific Car and Foundry Company purchased Kenworth as a wholly owned subsidiary. By the end of 1946, Kenworth relocated again in Seattle, following the purchase of a former Fisher Body factory by Pacific Car and Foundry; this would house all Kenworth manufacturing under a single roof.
In 1948, Kenworth redesigned the cab of its COE product line, later nicknamed the "Bull-nose" 500-series.
1950s: Market expansion
By 1950, Kenworth had grown outside the Pacific Northwest, marketing vehicles across the western half of the United States and across nearly 30 countries worldwide. In 1951, the company received an order for 1,700 Model 853s from ARAMCO in the Middle East. The Model 801 was introduced as an earth-moving dump truck, adopting one of the first cab-beside-engine configurations.In 1955, Kenworth began the redesign of its COE product line, launching the CSE ; in line with the Bull-nose, the CSE shared its underpinnings with the 500-series trucks and did not have a tilting cab.
In 1956, Pacific Car and Foundry revised its ownership of Kenworth, changing it from an independent subsidiary to a division. The same year, the 900-series was introduced with an all-new "drop-frame" chassis, with the CSE cabover replaced by the K-series COE. In 1957, Kenworth ended bus production, selling the rights to its product line.
In 1958, Kenworth became a sister company to Peterbilt, as the latter company was acquired by Pacific Car and Foundry. In 1959, the company further expanded its sales base, establishing facilities in Mexico.
1960s: W900 and K100
For 1961 production, Kenworth underwent a substantial revision of its commercial truck line, debuting the W900 and the K900 ; the W and K model prefixes are derived from company founders Worthington and Kent. The W900 debuted the first complete redesign of the Kenworth conventional cab since 1939 with a standard tilting hood. Similar in appearance to the previous K500, the K900/K100 received a taller cab and the doors of the W900.To meet increased demand for the new product lines, Kenworth opened a new assembly facility in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1964. From 1964 to 1966, Kenworth nearly doubled its yearly truck sales. In 1968, the company established Kenworth Australia; in place of importation and conversion, right-hand drive trucks were produced and developed in Melbourne, Australia.
1970s: Product line diversification
During the 1970s, the company underwent further expansion, adding an all-new facility in Chillicothe, Ohio, in 1974. The W900 and K100 underwent their most substantial revisions, becoming the W900A and K100C. Kenworth added two new product lines in 1972, adding the C500 6x6 severe-service conventional and the Hustler low-cab COE. The same year, parent company Pacific Car and Foundry adopted its current name PACCAR.Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the company, annual Kenworth sales exceeded 10,000 for the first time for 1973.
For 1976, Kenworth launched a flagship customization series, the VIT with a high level of interior features; distinguished by its skylight windows, the Aerodyne sleeper cab was the first factory-produced sleeper cab with stand-up headroom. To commemorate the American Bicentennial, the VIT series was introduced in a limited-edition series of 50.
1980s-1990s
In 1982 and 1984, respectively, the W900 and K100 underwent their most substantial revisions, becoming the W900B and K100E. While visually distinguished by the adoption of rectangular headlamps, the updates were centered around upgrading fuel economy, road handling, and reliability.In 1985, the Kenworth T600 was released by the company; in contrast to the W900, the T600 was designed with a set-back front axle and a sloped hoodline. While the latter initially proved controversial, the combination improved aerodynamics, fuel efficiency, and maneuverability. Intended as an expansion of the Kenworth model line, the success of the T600 would lead to the introductions of similar designs from multiple American truck manufacturers. In 1986, the T800 was introduced, adapting the sloped hoodline and set-back front axle for a heavy-duty chassis; the shorter-hood T400 was introduced in 1988 as a regional-haul tractor.
In 1987, Kenworth introduced the Mid-Ranger COE, its first medium-duty truck. Shared with Peterbilt, the Brazilian-produced Mid-Ranger was derived from the MAN G90. In 1992, the Mid-Ranger became the K300, as PACCAR shifted production to Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec.
In 1993, Kenworth opened its facility in Renton, Washington, as its third United States assembly plant.
In 1994, the T300 was introduced as the first Kenworth medium-duty conventional truck, adapting the T600 to a lower-GVWR Class 7 weight rating. The Aerocab sleeper was introduced, integrating the Aerodyne II sleeper cab and the drivers' cab as a single unit.
In 1996, Kenworth introduced the T2000 as its next-generation aerodynamic conventional. While not directly replacing the T600 and W900, the T2000 was a completely new design. The first "wide-body" Kenworth conventional, the model shared its cab with Peterbilt, distinguished by its bumper-mounted headlamps. The T2000 was discontinued in 2010.
In 1998, parent company PACCAR purchased British truck manufacturer Leyland Trucks, two years after Dutch manufacturer DAF Trucks. Within PACCAR, DAF would develop COE trucks for Kenworth and Peterbilt.