First Gear
First Gear 1:34 1953 Kenworth Bull Nose COE Tractor w/35' Dry Goods Trailer: ICX
From an estate collection. Box may have shelf wear. This model was produced in 1995
This is a detailed resin model that comes mounted on a stand in an acrylic display case
Kenworth Trucks, Inc. is an American-based truck manufacturer. Founded in 1923 as the successor company to Gerlinger Motors, Kenworth specializes in production of heavy-duty (Class 8) and medium-duty (Class 5-7) commercial vehicles. Headquartered in Seattle suburb Kirkland, Washington, Kenworth has been a wholly owned subsidiary of PACCAR since 1945, operating alongside sister company (and marketplace rival) Peterbilt Motors.
Kenworth marked several firsts in truck production; alongside the first truck produced with a standard diesel-fuel engine, the company introduced a raised-roof sleeper cab, and the first heavy-duty truck with an aerodynamically optimized body design. The Kenworth W900 has been produced continuously since 1961, serving as one of the longest production runs of any vehicles in automotive history.
By 1950, Kenworth had grown outside the Pacific Northwest, marketing vehicles across the western half of the United States and across nearly 30 countries worldwide. In 1951, the company received an order for 1,700 Model 853s from ARAMCO in the Middle East. The Model 801 was introduced as an earth-moving dump truck, adopting one of the first cab-beside-engine configurations.
In 1955, Kenworth began the redesign of its COE product line, launching the CSE (Cab-Surrounding-Engine); in line with the Bull-nose, the CSE shared its underpinnings with the 500-series trucks and did not have a tilting cab.
In 1956, Pacific Car and Foundry revised its ownership of Kenworth, changing it from an independent subsidiary to a division. The same year, the 900-series was introduced with an all-new "drop-frame" chassis, with the CSE cabover replaced by the K-series COE (derived from the 900 series). In 1957, Kenworth ended bus production, selling the rights to its product line (see below).
In 1958, Kenworth became a sister company to Peterbilt, as the latter company was acquired by Pacific Car and Foundry. In 1959, the company further expanded its sales base, establishing facilities in Mexico.