The T900 is the Australian conventional that Kenworth Australia used for road trains and heavy haulage. The T900 series has included the T900 Classic, the T904 and the T908, and in 2017 the name returned on a limited-edition T900 Legend.
Kenworth T900 at a glance
| Series | T900 Series: T900 Classic, T904, T908, T900 Legend |
|---|---|
| Range | Australian Kenworth T range, bonneted conventionals |
| Uses | road trains, heavy haulage, mining and off-road work |
| Twin-Steer | the T900 is one of the models without that option |
| T908 | listed among the models of the 2008 ‘08 Series’ |
| T900 Legend | 2017, 257 built |
| Legend engine | Cummins X15 in black and red, honouring the Cummins N14 of the original |
| Built in | Bayswater, Victoria, Australia |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on Kenworth; the T900 is described there in the Australia section, so this page covers only what that article states.
History of the Kenworth T900
Kenworth Australia builds its trucks at Bayswater in Victoria and divides the range by cab type: the T range for bonneted conventionals, the C range for heavy haulage, mining, off-road and road-train work, and the K range for cab-overs. The T900 sits in the T range, and has been the conventional used for the longest and heaviest combinations.
The T900 series has covered several models. The list of previous Australian Kenworth models names the T900 Classic, the T904, the T908 and the T900 Legend; the T908 was also part of the ‘08 Series’ of 2008, which ran from the T358/A through the T408SAR, T408, T608 and T658 up to the T908 and the C508. By July 2020 the T900 was one of the few models in the Australian range that were not offered with a Twin-Steer configuration.
In 2017 the T900 came back as a limited edition. The T900 Legend was the second truck in Kenworth’s Legend series, after the T950 Legend of 2015, and it was inspired by the 1991 T900. Altogether 257 T900 Legends were produced; each came with a special-edition Cummins X15 painted in black and red to commemorate the Cummins N14 that powered many of the original T900s. The first Legend, the T950, was inspired by the T950 built from 1992 to 2007 and came with a Cummins ISXe5 in Cummins Heritage Beige; only 75 were made and they sold out in 48 hours.
Design and features
- Road-train work: the T900 is the conventional for the heaviest Australian combinations.
- Series of models: T900 Classic, T904 and T908 have all carried the name.
- No Twin-Steer: one of the few models in the range without that option.
- T900 Legend (2017): 257 built, with a black-and-red Cummins X15.
- Part of the ‘08 Series’: the T908 was the largest conventional of the 2008 range.
Kenworth T900 versions
- T900 Classic: the original model of the series.
- T904: the later model of the same series.
- T908: the largest conventional of the 2008 ‘08 Series’.
- T900 Legend (2017): a 257-unit limited edition inspired by the 1991 T900.
The T900 shares the Australian T range with the SAR models, and it is the Australian relative of the American W900. The cab-over side of the Australian range is covered by the K123. More trucks are in the Kenworth collection.
Sources
- Kenworth, English Wikipedia: Australian ranges, T900 series list, ‘08 Series, Twin-Steer note, Legend series
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