The Kenworth W900 Legacy Edition is here.
The manufacturer unveiled the new truck—designed to epitomize the iconic Kenworth model drivers of all ages aspire to own—this week during the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville.
“Our W900 Legacy Edition is a way to celebrate the history and importance of the truck model with our customers,” Kevin Haygood, Kenworth assistant general manager for sales and marketing, said in a news release. “We will produce 1,000 of these limited-edition trucks, and they’re sure to become a collector’s item. They’ll be powered by the Cummins X15 engine painted in legacy Cummins beige—an exclusive color for this limited edition. The Legacy Edition is the ninth limited edition W900 Kenworth has produced. In recognition of that, we are bringing back paint schemes from those past trucks and some other fan favorites.”
Kenworth has sold more than 280,000 W900s since 1963, but the final builds are coming next year, the company reported.
The Legacy Edition is available in extended day cab, 72-in. flat top, and 86-in. studio sleeper configurations. Each Legacy Edition truck will be serialized—counting from 1,000 down to one—in order of build date and sequence with a special limited-edition badge on the glovebox. The interior features a black Diamond VIT interior with platinum accents. For those ordering a sleeper, vintage tuck-and-roll adorns the sleeper back wall. Ravenwood door and dash trim compliment the Legacy Edition’s styling, while platinum-accent stitching and throwback vintage Kenworth logos on trim and headrests complete the package.
The Kenworth hood badges take the Legacy Edition into the past as well, utilizing the design that became popular in 1966.
“There has been a long love affair between drivers and the W900,” Haygood said. “The trucking industry features many generational families and owner-operators who have bought the W900 over all these years. It’s ‘The Driver’s Truck’ with its bold, long hood and stately appearance. It’s why you see them at so many truck shows—they’ve won plenty of awards. The W900 also occupies a special place in popular culture. It dodged Smokey and aided Mr. Bond, all while becoming an iconic piece of automotive history.”
According to Haygood, the end of the W900 era is bittersweet.
“That truck means so much to Kenworth, and we know it means just as much to our customers in virtually every vocation thinkable,” he said. “We’re extremely proud and grateful that the W9 played a part in the lives of so many truckers and businesses—for many, the W900 has been a part of their legacy as they’ve grown throughout the years. And, of course, it’s been the truck with owner-operators from the very beginning. So, it’s with a heavy heart we say goodbye—due to emission regulations and component constraints—to a truck that signifies so much to so many. It’s a foundational piece of Kenworth and North America’s trucking legacy.”
Haygood said Kenworth’s W990 will now carry the torch of nostalgia for those who want traditional long-hood styling. “It shares many of the same custom tailoring characteristics of the W900 but in a wider cab configuration, with better aerodynamics,” Haygood said. “It also accommodates current and future emissions-compliant engines and driver assistance features through its platform and is set to meet regulations down the road.
“We hope it will continue the legacy of a bona fide legend—the W900.”