Kenworth has been building W900 tractors since 1961. Commercial truck designs generally enjoy long production runs. But any design that can last for close to 55 years clearly has a lot going for it.
If you run a Google search for the ’61 W900s, the first thing you notice is that design-wise, Kenworth has done little to change the overall appearance of this tractor over its long life.
Under the hood and behind its panels, it’s a very different story: Continuous tweaks and upgrades have kept place with virtually every modern advance, meaning that in many ways, today’s W900 is the quintessential blend of old and new. Maybe that’s why the truck has been a perennial favorite among drivers – and even became a Hollywood star of sorts, keeping Jerry Reed’s Snowman blowing and going in the classic Smokey and The Bandit films from the 1970s.
Today, you can’t help but feel time is running out for the tough old W900. My personal sense is Kenworth executives would rather take a swift kick in their collective mid-sections than kill off the truck. But in this age of super-sleek aerodynamics and fuel-economy fever, it’s tough to see how such an old school design survives outside of flatbed and oversize load hauls.
On the other hand, there are an awful lot of old school Owner-Operators out there who simply adore the truck. And they’re more than happy to take a fuel economy penalty for the honor of driving one of these machines down the highway. Which leads us to the Icon 900 – a special edition W900 unveiled earlier this year at the Mid-America Truck Show.
Featuring special colors dramatically presented in throwback paint schemes, the W900 is Kenworth’s tip of the hat to one of the greatest designs to ever prowl an American road and a sure-fire hit with owner-operators who still want to turn heads when they’re hammering down the highway.
But the move isn’t purely sentimental: According to Kenworth Marketing Director Kurt Swihart, the company has noticed a definite uptick in owner-operators returning to the trucking market today in response to the increased demand to move freight and the favorable business climate.
