The K123 is one of the cab-overs of Kenworth’s Australian K series, alongside the K100, K124, K125, K100E, K100G, K104, K104B and K108. The K range covers the cab-over trucks of the Australian line, while the bonneted conventionals sit in the T range.
Kenworth K123 at a glance
| Series | K series, cab-over trucks |
|---|---|
| Range | Australian Kenworth line |
| K-series models | K100, K123, K124, K125, K100E, K100G, K104, K104B, K108, K200 |
| Built in | Bayswater, Victoria, Australia |
| Kenworth Australia | established 1968 |
| First Australian model | KWS925, imported fully built in 1962 |
| Exports | New Zealand, Japan, Thailand, Papua New Guinea |
| Maker | Kenworth, a PACCAR company |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on Kenworth, where the K123 appears only in the list of Australian K-series models; the page therefore describes the series and the Australian operation rather than the individual model.
History of the Kenworth K123
Kenworth established its Australian operation in 1968, and since then right-hand-drive trucks have been produced and developed in Australia instead of being imported and converted. The first Kenworth in the country had been a KWS925, imported fully built in 1962; soon afterwards trucks arrived as complete knock-down kits and were assembled at Preston, Victoria.
Today all Australian models are assembled at Bayswater in Victoria, and Australian-built Kenworths are exported to nearby right-hand-drive markets: New Zealand, Japan, Thailand and Papua New Guinea. The range is divided by cab type: the T range covers the bonneted conventionals, the C range the heavy haulage, mining, off-road and road-train trucks, and the K range the cab-overs.
The K123 and K124 belong to that cab-over line, together with the K100 and its later versions and the K104 and K108. The cab-over layout puts the cab above the engine, which shortens the truck and leaves more length for the trailer; in Australia that mattered for B-double combinations, where the shorter K108 in particular became very popular. The K series continues today with the K220.
Design and features
- Cab-over layout: the K range is the cab-over side of the Australian range.
- Australian build: assembled at Bayswater, Victoria.
- Right-hand drive: developed for Australia rather than converted from left-hand-drive trucks.
- Regional exports: Australian Kenworths also go to New Zealand, Japan, Thailand and Papua New Guinea.
Kenworth K123 versions
- K123: a cab-over of the Australian K series.
- K124: another cab-over of the same series, listed next to the K123.
- K100 and K100E: the earlier cab-overs of the line.
- K104 and K108: the later Australian cab-overs.
- K220: the current cab-over of the Australian range.
The K123 shares its cab-over layout with the K100 and was followed by the K104 and K108. The bonneted side of the Australian range is covered by the T900. More trucks are in the Kenworth collection.
Video: 1973 kenworth k123
Video by bt2927 on YouTube.
Sources
- Kenworth, English Wikipedia: Australian operations, K and T ranges, K-series model list, exports
