IXO 1:43 1976 Kenworth K100 Aerodyne COE Tractor

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.

During the 1970s, the company underwent further expansion, adding an all-new facility in Chillicothe, Ohio, in 1974. Kenworth added two new product lines in 1972, adding the C500 6x6 severe-service conventional and the Hustler low-cab COE (developed jointly with Peterbilt and produced in Canada). The same year, parent company Pacific Car and Foundry adopted its current name PACCAR.

Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the company, annual Kenworth sales exceeded 10,000 for the first time for 1973.

For 1976, Kenworth launched a flagship customization series, the VIT (Very Important Trucker) with a high level of interior features; distinguished by its skylight windows, the Aerodyne sleeper cab was the first factory-produced sleeper cab with stand-up headroom (for both the W900 and K100). To commemorate the American Bicentennial, the VIT series was introduced in a limited-edition series of 50 (with each truck named after a state).