Kenworth enthusiasts are marking their calendars as the brand’s 100th global anniversary is celebrated in New Zealand.
Local distributor Southpac Trucks is hosting the special event on Waitangi weekend 2024 at Mystery Creek and is promising a spectacle.
It says the Kenworth-only event will eclipse any single brand truck show ever staged here – including the 2014 event at Mt Maunganui’s Baypark which saw 300 Kenworths on show to mark 50 years of the truck brand being imported into New Zealand.
“Kenworth owners are known to be passionate about the trucks they run. We want to bring them together in one place to celebrate the best of the brand by hosting this show,” Southpac general sales manager Richard Smart says.
With a huge nine-hectare footprint set aside for the show, there is room for up to 1500 trucks. Registrations are essential and will open during July via the Southpac website and Facebook updates.
There will be prizes across a range of categories, and those bringing a truck will receive special 100-year commemorative pack on arrival.
Planning for the event began in early 2020 but was put on hold during the uncertainty of recent years. It was originally meant to take place in 2023 to coincide with the official global anniversary.
Smart says there has been so much enthusiasm for the concept of a 100-year celebration that it was an easy decision to go ahead with.
“Building on the success of the special ‘50 years of Kenworth in New Zealand’ show, the Southpac team have designed the worldwide 100 event for maximum visual impact,” he says.
“Even better, for the fans, a commemorative range of flags, banners and merchandise will be available for purchase.
“Many will remember the stunning view of the brand-new conventionals and cab-overs lined up when entering the gathering at Baypark.
“The scale of the 2024 venue means a line-up five times longer than this – half a kilometre of Kenworth grills in one row alone,” Smart says.
*Go to spt.co.nz or follow Southpac on Facebook for updates on the event.
