Kenworth Celebrates Its 90th Anniversary
Feb 15, 2013 12:56 PM
Kenworth Truck Company is celebrating its 90th anniversary during 2013, marking the beginning in 1923 when Harry W. Kent and Edgar K. Worthington incorporated the Gersix Motor Company as “Kenworth” and formed the company name from a combination of letters from the founders’ last names.
That first year, the small Seattle truck manufacturer produced 78 six-cylinder, gasoline-powered trucks. Since then, Kenworth has produced more than 900,000 trucks.
Kenworth says it was the first truck manufacturer to install diesel engines as standard equipment in 1933, and sold the first sleeper cab in 1936. The Kenworth T600A transformed the industry as the first truly aerodynamic Class 8 truck in 1985. A year later, the Kenworth T800 was introduced and is widely recognized for serving in applications such as dump truck, mixer, logger, and extreme heavy haul. The milestone 250,000th T800 was produced and celebrated last year.
“Over the past 90 years, Kenworth has played an essential role in the development of trucks that are more fuel efficient, productive and economical to operate,” said Gary Moore, Kenworth’s general manager and PACCAR vice president. “It’s the foundation that began when Harry Kent and Edgar Worthington incorporated the Gersix Motor Company as ‘Kenworth’ in 1923, and delivering trucks that provide exceptional performance continues today.
“Kenworth takes great pride in our history of achievement and excellence. As we go forward, Kenworth’s core values of quality, innovation and technology will remain steadfast as we provide customers with The World’s Best trucks.”
Acceptable Use Policy blog comments powered by Disqus
