The Peterbilt 358 of 1965 brought the biggest change to the company’s conventional trucks since the 281: instead of a fixed radiator with grille shutters, it had an aluminium hood that tilted forward. It was also the first Peterbilt model line to carry the bird-shaped hood ornament that became a company signature.
Peterbilt 358 at a glance
| Maker | Peterbilt Motors Company |
|---|---|
| Production | 1965–1976 |
| Layout | conventional cab |
| Hood | tilting aluminium hood with an attached grille surround |
| Fibreglass hood | offered as an option from 1972 |
| Hood ornament | first Peterbilt line with the bird ornament |
| Family | 288/358 |
| Replaced | 351, which stayed in production |
| Replaced by | 359 in the highway role |
History of the Peterbilt 358
The 358 came in 1965 and largely replaced the 351 in Peterbilt’s highway line, although the older truck remained in production for vocational buyers. Its importance lay in the front of the truck: the fixed radiator and grille shutters of the 281/351 generation gave way to a grille surround mounted on an aluminium hood that tilted forward. Access to the engine improved at a stroke, and a fibreglass hood was added as an option in 1972.
The same model year brought the bird hood ornament, a shaped handle at the front of the bonnet that doubles as a grab handle for the driver cleaning the windscreen. It has stayed in production on Peterbilt conventionals almost unchanged since, which makes the 358 the starting point for one of the most familiar details on an American truck.
The 358’s hood was narrower than the one that followed. When the larger-grille 359 arrived in 1967 it took over the highway work, and by the mid-1970s the bigger diesel engines needed more cooling air than the narrow 358 could supply. The model was retired in 1976 alongside the 281/351 line it had partly replaced.
Design and features
- Tilting hood: the first Peterbilt conventional with a hood that tilted forward for engine access.
- Grille on the hood: the surround moved with the hood instead of staying with the radiator.
- Bird ornament: introduced on the 358 and still fitted to Peterbilt conventionals today.
- Fibreglass option: a lighter hood became available in 1972.
Peterbilt 358 versions
- 358 (1965–1976): the standard narrow-hood conventional.
- Fibreglass-hood version (from 1972): the optional lightweight bonnet.
- 288: the single-drive-axle member of the same model line.
The 358 was replaced in the highway role by the Peterbilt 359, and its predecessor is the 281 and 351. Later conventionals are collected under Peterbilt.
Video: Peterbilt 358
Video by kblackav8r on YouTube.
Sources
- Peterbilt, English Wikipedia: 1965 launch, tilting hood, fibreglass option, hood ornament, retirement
- List of Peterbilt vehicles, English Wikipedia: production years, 288/358 naming
