LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kenworth W900 Legacy Edition is here.
62 years in the making, the truck epitomizes the iconic Kenworth model that drivers of all ages aspire to own, according to a Kenworth press release.
“Our W900 Legacy Edition is a way to celebrate the history and importance of the truck model with our customers,” said Kevin Haygood, Kenworth’s assistant general manager for sales and marketing. “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.”
More than 280,000 W900s have been sold since 1963, with the final builds coming in 2026. 1,000 limited-edition trucks will be produced.
W900 Legacy Edition
The Legacy Edition is available in Extended Day Cab, 72-inch Flat Top, and 86-inch Studio Sleeper configurations. Each Kenworth W900 Legacy Edition will be serialized – counting from 1000 down to 0001– in order of build date and sequence with a special limited-edition badge on the glovebox.
The interior features a luxurious 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.
Love Affair
“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.”
End of an Era
According to Haygood, it’s bittersweet seeing the end of an era with the W900.
“That truck means so much to Kenworth, and we know it means just as much to our customers in virtually every vocation thinkable,” Haygood 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.”
Carrying the Torch
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’s 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.”
Kenworth and MATS
Kenworth and the Mid-America Trucking Show share a long history. In the late 1980s, Kenworth partnered with MATS to begin hosting the band Alabama for a concert series that lasted 13 years in an effort to attract more drivers and grow the show. MATS is now the largest annual heavy-duty trucking event in the world that attracts 70,000 industry professionals, owner-operators and truck enthusiasts each year. Additionally, Kenworth has launched numerous flagship products at the show, including the aerodynamic and fuel efficient T660 in 2006, the highly evolved aerodynamic T680 in 2012 and the vocational workhorse T880 in 2013.
The following trucks can be seen at MATS in Kenworth booth #32025:
- 2026 Kenworth W900 Legacy Edition 72” AeroCab FlatTop Sleeper; 1000 of 1000 produced (serial numbers will count down for this special edition).
- 1982 Kenworth W900A 36” Sleeper, restored in 2017 with original ‘Cape Cod’ paint scheme in light green, dark green and gold.
- 2026 Kenworth W990 52” Flat Top Sleeper, customized and painted to match the W900A’s ‘Cape Cod’ paint scheme.
- 2023 Kenworth T680 76” High Roof Sleeper (Kenworth Certified Pre-Owned).
For more information regarding Kenworth’s W900 Legacy Edition and a lookback at the W900’s history through stories and images, visit www.w900legacy.com.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
From the first time I saw Sonny Pruitt drive a W900, I was in love with the things.
hello my name is Bryan Brown & I’ve been truckin for the past 35yrs of my life & I will greatly miss the Kenworth W-900 as I spent 14 great years working for B&R Cattle & Trucking in Rosemount, MN & for most of those awesome years hauling Cattle thru out the Midwest It was mostly done in a W-900 with a 86″ Studio Sleeper & in style…!! I uses too go down the highway as proud as could be with our highly spect out W-900’s with all of the fancy O/O options in our Black Beauty Kenworth Company Trucks…!! I have some great & awesome memories of all the years I spent as a proud company driver piloting my W-900 up & down the highways….!! plus, every 2 1/2 years we all got brand new trucks but we put an average of 100,000 miles every 6 months on our Cattle trucks & im very privileged too have been soo lucky & got too drive the biggest/fancier trucks out on the American highways…!! I will truly miss the W-900 Kenworth.
The article is well written. But the powers the be should ask the drivers how they feel about Paccar not building the W900L anymore. In my opinion they have lost their mind. It is the best truck on the road. If I was going back on my own again it’s the truck of choice. The company I drive for now has me in a 2020 W900L and I love this piece. None better in my opinion.
it’s hard to believe that the international high breed w990 is supposed to replace the w900 🙄. don’t get me wrong the 990 has some great features the swing out table room between the seats, and the digital dash is great when it works but…. really
Terrible mistake…. as bad or worse than GM phasing out the Pontiac line. Now both the Bandit and Snow Man are gone.
It’s gotta be the best looking truck on the road. I think it’s a huge mistake there making. But it takes a decision like this to make a wake up call happen. DW
A Limited Edition of a Truck a out to be No longer Built should not be 1,000 Units. In 1976 the Bicentennial Edition Aerodynes were 200 W900 and 200 K100.