When N&J Wood Ltd decided to add a W900 SAR Legend to their yard, it wasn’t to own a highly desirable, limited-edition truck, (although it is), chase fuel economy, or even for fleet-wide uniformity. Nope, it was something as simple as: “Dad really liked that style of Kenworth,” says Ryan Wood, owner manager.

“So we ended up getting one, as he wanted it as his last truck.”

N&J Wood Ltd is a down-to-earth operator that wears practicality like a well-fitted tool belt.

“We do everything from heavy hauling to bulk cartage to civil works,” Ryan says, summing up the Pokeno-based business.

They run a [let’s say] mixed fleet, from Kenworth to Peterbilt, DAF, Volvo, Scania, and Mack – a smorgasbord of brands that undoubtedly keeps their drivers happy and the in-house workshop on its toes.

But even with their eclectic taste, and fondness of Kenworths, the Legend SAR was still far from their ordinary fleet purchase. Ryan is candid: “The W900 SAR Legend was more bought as a toy for dad and on a nice day, it gets to go to work.”

It’s fair to say that it’s not a frontline grinder. In 15 months it has clipped a little over 20,000km and sits in the yard 90% of the time. Basically, the truck lives at the sweet intersection of family pride and more ‘targeted’ workload duties.

Kenworth’s Legend Series is explicitly a nod to the brand’s Australian story. The W900 SAR itself was a star in Kenworth’s Aussie lineup from 1975 to 1987 and was the first model designed and built in Australia to meet local needs. The modern Legend SAR reimagines that sloping bonnet and raised cab in a retro-inspired package but with contemporary systems under the skin, basically, vintage silhouette with modern substance.

The Legend SAR models were created to celebrate the original W900 SAR’s character and to deliver an iconic presence for operators and collectors alike. What’s more, the one-day buying window made the Legend feel rarer still. Even so, more than 750 Legend SARs were purchased during the single-day sale period, evidence that the model has struck a chord with buyers who value both nostalgia and capability.

For N&J Wood, though, the Legend’s appeal was less about exclusivity and more about fulfilling Neil Wood’s last-truck wish. Ryan says his father was really excited when it came out as a Legend model.

“I think dad ummed and arghed a bit long – he was trying to keep it a surprise from everyone, but couldn’t,” Ryan jokes.

Despite the Legend purchase being Neil’s brainchild, he’s only driven it ‘just around the yard’, leaving Ryan to steer the truck the majority of its limited working life.

Ryan says that when you drive the Legend SAR, you feel that deliberate duality.

“It’s quite good around town with a more sloping, shorter bonnet compared to the T909. It’s very retro, very old school with the flat panels, but has all the modern stuff on it,” Ryan says, a compact appraisal of the Legend’s raison d’être.

Designed to look classic from every chrome-trimmed angle, the Legend also delivers creature comforts today’s operators expect. He praises its ease of use.

“I do like driving it. It’s definitely comfortable. Good visibility and simple to drive,” Ryan says.

The W900 SAR Legend pairs the retro look with a modern workhorse drivetrain. Kenworth fitted the Legend SARs with the Cummins X15 engine with outputs from 550 to 615hp and torque in the 1,850–2,050 lb-ft band, matched to robust Eaton 18-speed manual transmissions. It’s the kind of spec that lets an old-school look tow big modern loads without apology and these mechanical bones mean the Legend SAR can be as practical as it is photogenic.

Inside, the Legend is a period-piece with modern amenities. Highlights are the flat windscreen B-series cab, diamond-pleated trim, classic wood-rimmed steering wheel and chrome-bezel gauges to  deliver that throwback cabin feel, with air conditioning, and premium leather seats. Kenworth’s aim was clear, evoke the 1970s while solving 2020s operator problems.

N&J Wood opted for slightly different signage and colours, instead leaning into old-school blue/green with hand-painted scrollwork done by Ryan’s uncle, Ron Van Dam (Custom Airbrush FX).

“It’s base blue/green with our hand sign writing on them and scrollwork. The scrollwork was done by Ron Van dam, who is my mum’s brother,” Ryan explains.

It’s a detail that folds family identity into the truck’s aesthetic, a proper country-trucker tattoo.

The Legend made its initial splash on the Southpac Trucks stand at the 2025 Bombay Truck Show. Since then it’s been used with restraint.

“Being bought as a toy for dad, and a truck most would consider a career pinnacle, it does make you picky about who gets to drive it,” Ryan says.

The company’s approach is telling. Cherish the truck, let it do meaningful but measured work (particularly tighter local jobs where the W900 SAR’s shorter, sloping bonnet gives an advantage), and parade it when the weather and the calendar agree.

Owning a collectible-truck specimen in a working fleet invites compromises. It won’t do the heavy daily miles of prime units, but it occasionally flexes its muscle, Ryan drives it on jobs and appreciates how it handles “on the tighter jobs” and around town.

The Legend’s usage pattern at N&J Wood is almost archetypal for modern collectible-working trucks: a low-mileage specimen used intentionally for show, errands, and demonstrating company pride without sacrificing long-term value.

Collectors and operators have noticed the value proposition, earlier Legend variants (like the T900

Legends) and classic bonneted Kenworths have become sought-after items; many anticipate the W900 SAR Legend following suit.

“I think so,” Ryan says when asked if the W900 might hold its value, reflecting a common market sentiment that classic styling married to modern drivetrains makes these trucks perennial favourites. Whether it becomes a blue-chip collector piece or remains a cherished family convoy unit, the Legend combines longevity with love.

Ryan puts it plainly when asked what he likes: “I definitely do [like driving it]. It’s definitely comfortable.” 

That sums up the Legend’s success for N&J Wood Ltd. The truck delivers the emotional value for Neil, practical capability for the fleet, and enough kerb-appeal to hold its own at a truck show. For a truck bought as “a toy” it somehow manages to be a working symbol, of family, of brand heritage, and of the tidy alchemy when vintage style meets modern engineering.

In short, N&J Wood’s Legend is both a love-letter to Kenworth’s Australian lineage and a fully capable machine that fits into a working mixed fleet, albeit with a lighter, more ceremonial touch. It’s a crowd pleaser at truck shows, tells a story in the yard, and still answers the phone when work calls.