This year the Kenworth Truck Company is celebrating its 90th anniversary.
It all began in 1923 when Harry W. Kent and Edgar K. Worthington incorporated the Gersix Motor Company as ‘Kenworth’. The company name was formed 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 vehicles.
Kenworth's success and staying power in a competitive business can be traced back to a philosophy established early in the firm's history. The goal was to build the right Kenworth truck for each customer's application and to build that truck to last.
Kenworth was the first US truck manufacturer to install diesel engines as standard equipment in 1933 and sold the first sleeper cab in 1936.
"Over the past 90 years, Kenworth has played an essential role in the development of trucks that are fuel efficient, productive and economical to operate," said Gary Moore, Kenworth's General Manager. "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.” 