KENWORTH

Kenworth Motor Truck Co. (1923-present)
Seattle, Washington

This is a Kenworth radiator emblem (c1945-1970's) lktec
Size: 210mm high 102mm wide   MM: None

Harry Kent and Edgar K. Worthington built the six-cylinder Gersix truck in Tacoma, Washington. In 1922, they bought the assets of HRM and Vulcan, two local custom builders of trucks, which, at the time, were the only other truck builders in the Pacific North West.

In 1923, Kent and Worthington reorganized as the Kenworth Motor Truck Company and began producing four-cylinder Kenworth trucks in 1924 when 80 trucks were sold. The first Kenworth trucks were custom built to order but the basic models were 1-1/2-ton, 2-1/2-ton and 4-ton capacity. By 1925, there were five Kenworth models ranging from 1-ton to 5-ton capacity. Kenworth trucks were built individually and could be adapted to suit the specific requirements of customers. Ninety-nine Kenworth trucks were built in 1926. Six-cylinder engines were introduced in 1927.

Thereafter, Kenworth expanded its range of trucks, added buses to the line and set up a new assembly facility in Vancouver in 1929. In 1932, Kenworth was the first American truck manufacturer to offer diesel engines as a factory option. In 1935, Kenworth began to build its own cabs and attractive chrome radiator grilles and, in 1937, Kenworth built their first four-wheel drive trucks and cab over engine models. By 1940, Kenworth trucks ranged from 2-ton to 10-ton capacity and annual Kenworth truck production had risen to 226 units.

Through World War II, Kenworth produced trucks and aircraft for the war effort. In 1944, Kenworth was bought by Pacific Car and Foundry. With new investment, Kenworth continued to grow and, by 1950, forty percent of total Kenworth sales were overseas. In 1972, vehicle production reached 10,000 units for the year. Kenworth has continued to expand and increase its production facilities and remains (as of 2024) a major manufacturer of commercial vehicles in America.

Emblems

The Gersix truck that preceded the Kenworth had a ribbed radiator tank top with a cast radiator emblem. The truck also displayed a "GersiX" hood side nameplate, possibly a decal or stencil, see original photo shown below: 

Gersix truck showing hood side nameplate (c1916) worthingtonpark

The first Kenworth trucks in 1923 also had a ribbed radiator tank top, and displayed "K  W" cast into the tank top, see surviving example shown below:

Kenworth truck with ribbed radiator tank top (1923) dailykos

Close up showing cast in "K  W" radiator emblem (1923)

The Kenworth truck also displayed a "K kenworth W" hood side decal nameplate, see original period Kenworth truck photo below:

Kenworth truck displaying hood side nameplate (1923)   jacques leretrait 

The same cast in radiator emblem and hood side decal nameplate continued in use for heavy duty Kenworth trucks, see surviving 1925 Kenworth Model KS 3-ton truck shown below:

Kenworth truck with cast rad emblem & hood side plate (1925) 
jacques leretrait

Detail showing cast-in rad emblem (1923-c1925) jacques leretrait

Detail showing hood side decal nameplate (1923-c1925)

For some, probably medium duty, Kenworth trucks, there was a different radiator with a cast in emblem, see original period Kenworth truck photo shown below:

Kenworth truck showing different radiator emblem (1924)    jacques leretrait

This is the cast radiator and Kenworth emblem shown below:

This is a Kenworth cast radiator tank top & emblem (c1924) moroz

The following painted nickel emblem is believed to be a Kenworth radiator emblem used on a light duty Kenworth truck, possibly 1-ton models from about 1925, but I cannot confirm this. This Kenworth radiator emblem is rare.

This is a Kenworth radiator emblem (c1925)   mjs
Size: 95mm wide 56mm high   MM: Unknown

There was a diamond shaped Kenworth radiator grille emblem used in the late 1930's, see following Kenworth logging truck advertisement from 1938:

Kenworth logging truck ad (1938)  lktec

Kenworth truck with diamond emblem (1938) lktec

From about 1928 to about 1936, Kenworth trucks with conventional aluminum radiators displayed a separate, originally painted, round radiator emblem, see examples shown below:

Kenworth truck with round radiator emblem (1929) dailykos

Kenworth truck showing radiator emblem (1930)  david berry

This is the painted Kenworth radiator emblem shown below. This Kenworth radiator emblem is rare.

This is a Kenworth radiator emblem (c1929-c1936) mark gepner
Size: Unknown    MM: Unknown

Kenworth trucks in this period also displayed the "Kenworth" name on hood side nameplates and "KW" on the hubcaps, see examples shown below:

Kenworth truck with hood side nameplate (1929)  dailykos

This is a Kenworth truck hubcap (c1928-1934)   dkc
Size: 102mm diameter

There was a change in the Kenworth radiator emblem in about 1936, with the emblem forming part of the hood ornament wrapping over the top of the radiator shell, see examples shown below:

Kenworth shovelnose truck with radiator emblem (1937)  dailykos

Close up showing radiator emblem (1937) 

This is a Kenworth radiator emblem (c1936-1939)  jacques leretrait
Size: Unknown     MM: Unknown

There was a slight change in the design of the now chrome finished hood ornament and emblem by 1940, see examples shown below:

Kenworth radiator emblem (1940)
truckexposure AaronK

This is a Kenworth radiator emblem (c1940)   jacques leretrait
Size: Unknown    MM: Unknown

The Kenworth hood side nameplate was also changed from about 1936, see examples shown below:

Kenworth shovelnose truck showing hood side nameplate (1937)    dailykos

This is the painted Kenworth hood side nameplate shown below. This Kenworth hood side nameplate is rare.

This is a Kenworth hood side nameplate (c1936-1940)  mjs
Size: 230mm wide 43mm high    MM: None

Kenworth COE trucks in this period carried a round radiator emblem at the top center of the radiator grille, see examples shown below:

Kenworth 537 COE oil truck (1940)  gary alan nelson

Kenworth COE truck rad emblem (1940)
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When Kenworth production resumed after the Second World War, the Kenworth carried a new radiator emblem, which was to continue for many years in various forms, see examples shown below:

Kenworth radiator emblem (1945)    dailykos

Kenworth truck tractor with rad emblem (1946)   dailykos

This is the red painted aluminum Kenworth radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Kenworth radiator emblem is rare.

This is a Kenworth radiator emblem (c1945-1970's) lktec
Size: 210mm high 102mm wide   MM: None

There were also changes in the design of the hood side nameplates, see example shown below: 

Kenworth truck tractor with hood side nameplate (1949)  dailykos

This is the red painted Kenworth hood side nameplate. This Kenworth hood side nameplate is rare.

This is a Kenworth hood side nameplate (c1949-1952)   lktec
Size: 305mm wide 65mm high  

The Kenworth radiator emblem introduced in about 1945 and shown earlier above was used on conventional Kenworth truck models but not on cab over engine models until 1969. The following is an example of a Kenworth cab over engine model from 1953-1954 with a very different radiator emblem:

Kenworth COE truck showing radiator emblem (1953-1954)    tad burness

This is the Kenworth radiator emblem shown below. This Kenworth radiator emblem is scarce.

This is a Kenworth COE truck radiator emblem (c1953)   lktec
Size: Approx. 240mm wide 62mm high   MM: None

Other radiator emblems are seen on some Kenworth trucks used by the logging industry, see example shown below:

Kenworth logging truck tractor (date unknown)    dailykos