100 years young

Southpac Trucks’ KW100 event was more than just a Kiwi-as celebration of the Kenworth brand’s centenary in 2023. It will go down in the hearts of local – and quite a few international – trucking enthusiasts as a day to never forget.

Hamilton’s Mystery Creek Events Centre has been host to its fair share of significant gatherings, but for fans of the Kenworth brand, the event on Saturday, 3 February 2024, would have to be among the finest.

Brand devotees still talk about the 50 Years of Kenworth in New Zealand event at Bay Park in 2014. That event attracted 301 trucks, a significant number. But 100 Years of Kenworth – or KW100 as it quickly became known – was always going to be a big one. It was, quite literally, a once-in-100-year event – and how many brands get to celebrate that milestone?

Recognising this, more than 900 enthusiastic Kenworth owners and drivers registered for KW100, with 756 trucks turning out on the day. They wanted to be there and be a part of the celebration; that much was plainly obvious by the mere fact some of the trucks were taken out of service for three days – with the Thursday and Friday earmarked for arrivals and setup.

There was just about everything from the Kenworth New Zealand catalogue, starting with the two original 848s to land in New Zealand in 1964 for New Zealand Forest Products. Other ‘firsts’ included the country’s first Kenworth cabover, a 1966 K923 [yes – 923 is correct], originally owned by JV Geany’s from Rotorua, today owned and in restoration by Craig Gordon. Also, there was the FJ Ramsey 1978 K124, Snoopy, today owned by Greaves Bulk Haulage in Gisborne. FJ Ramsey trucks were, of course, famous for towing the country’s first B-trains, one of which was on Snoopy. What an amazing sight that made. The ‘firsts’ rolled on in and included the 1965 L-924 ‘Steptoe’ the first truck sold to a small private – Howard Brothers in the Hawkes Bay, and the first SAR, sold to R H Tregoweths in Te Kuiti and today owned by the Uhlenberg family in Eltham.

There were other icons of New Zealand road transport, such as the Lendich Construction 1975 W924R, the Kenworth LW924R V12 Concorde, purchased new by Mt Maunganui-based Mike Lambert Ltd in 1973, and looking ever more original by the day in the care of current owner Mercer Transport Museum. And when you’re talking legendary New Zealand road transport machines – Shane Pearson’s restored Katway Haulage K124 Aerodyne Barney Boy is right up there.

There were Kenworth fleets from throughout the country, working trucks, hobby trucks, restored trucks and trucks that proudly wear the decades of hard toil they were bought to tackle.

Trucks were being cleaned and polished up to the public opening at 10am on the Saturday, the level of pride in their spectacular presentation noteworthy. That said, special mention must go to Bourke Haulage’s K200 logger, which looked like it drove straight off the skid and into the events centre – a reminder of their reason for being.

The day had a celebratory atmosphere, filled with history, pride, passion and a sense of inspiration, culminating in the gala dinner event in the Mystery Creek Events Centre. Amid 24 gleaming trucks, 800 attendees were fed and entertained to the highest level. The mood of celebration was brilliantly carried over by PACCAR Australia managing director Damion Smethurst and Southpac CEO Maarten Durent, who both gave brief but poignant addresses, before dancing, merriment and the sharing of great yarns of life behind a Bug commenced.

We hope the few images here from the thousands we came home with somehow convey it all.

Congratulations, Southpac, on a superbly organised and executed event, and happy birthday, Kenworth.

KENWORTH 100 SHOW WINNERS

Southpac invited two overseas PACCAR employees to join with the local Commercial Vehicle Safety Team to form the judging panel for KW100. Aaron Kitahara (USA), Phil Spencer (Australia), Constable Andrew Ansell and Senior Sergeant Lex Soepnel made their way through the thousands of visitors on the Saturday to come up with a list of prize-winning trucks. A further two prize winners were added at the request of the overseas judges: The Overseas Judges’ Show Favourites.

Scan to see the table of winners

Special Thanks

The team at New Zealand Trucking Media would like to thank Southpac Trucks for the extended access we and the selected group of photographers were granted to the event.

The Lendich Construction 1975 Kenworth W924R. Still with its original owner and in immaculate condition.

Shane Pearson deserves a King’s Birthday honour for the preservation of Barney Boy, one of the original two Kenworth Aerodynes operated in New Zealand by Katway Haulage in Auckland.

Bought new by Mike Lambert in 1973, the V12 LW924R Concorde rewrote the book on log cartage in the Bay of Plenty and Central North Island. Although it’s passed though several hands in its life, today Concorde is owned by the Mercer Transport Museum and back in original colours and livery.

A forlorn looking apparition in the corner is in fact New Zealand’s first K model Kenworth, a K923 originally run by JV Geany’s in Rotorua. Now in the hands of Craig Gordon, this icon of New Zealand Road Transport is on its way back to glory. The truck attracted huge attention.

Bryce O’Sullivan Contracting adds to the South Island contingent.

Porter Group arrived en-mass.

The Silver Shadow was in its rightful place out front of the Williams and Wilshier Kenworth fleet.

When hard work pays you back. The John Lockley Transport Kenworths from Waihi.

The Watchorn Transport contingent from Whakatane certainly put their best foot forward for the occasion.

The Brett Marsh fleet resplendently turned out.

Guy Knowles Transport parked in fleet order. It’s all about the detail.

The capital crew arrived in numbers. Quality Demolition looking sharp.

Another legendary Kenworth fleet arrives, PGF Transport.

Looking like it’s still on the 1988 Kenworth Australia Cavalcade of Trucks promo tour, Alderson Poultry Transport’s K100E Cavalcade tribute truck.

There was no shortage of legends, whether vehicles or owners. White roofs, green cabs, and orange chassis – it can only be Taranaki’s Uhlenberg Haulage.

Some trucks make the heart beat a little faster – others red-line it. The McCarthy retro livery look is simply stunning.

RFH came with an unfathomable contribution when you looked across the group brands. This will be the easiest day these new 509s will ever see.

No fleet is more worthy of attendance at a New Zealand Kenworth celebration than Auckland’s Jackson Road Haul, and no fleet holds truer to its look and livery. Sublime!

If you’re a Kiwi truck ‘foamer’ then this line-up of iconic liveries of the 80s is enough to choke you. From left: Dynes Transport, Stock Transporters, Regan Carriers, and Katway Haulage.

Rotorua’s FJ Ramsey operated New Zealand’s first B-trains in the early 80s. Here, is one of those original trailer sets behind a K124 tractor. Today the unit is owned by Greaves Bulk Haulage in Gisborne.

Is there anyone who can set up a bulky or tip unit like McKay Cartage from Tokomaru Bay? There’s just something they always have that’s hard to put your finger on.

Bevan and Tania Satherley’s immaculate and period-correct T900 Legend logger. Looking like it’s just on delivery kilometres almost half a decade in.

Today was the truck’s turn on the main stage. Graham and Michelle Redington’s T909 glides into the celebrations.

Rocky rolled into town with the Golden Bay / Tasman contingent. Steve Hill’s restored LW and Robert Appleton’s V12 W model Extended Hood ex-the USA.

Ian Spedding’s ability to present a faultless truck is known far and wide. Here his T900 and C501 arrive.

They came from all four corners. Dunedin’s Icon Logistics presented two K200s, one seen here rolling out the back to drop it’s trailer before taking its place in the line-up.