Southpac Legends

Parked up in the yard or rolling down the highway with a load of precast concrete or structural steel on the back, the striking flat-roof SAR looks like it has driven straight out of a golden era of Australasian trucking. It turns heads everywhere it goes because it gets the fundamentals exactly right – long bonnet, classic lines, proper stance, and manual gearbox.

For owner Grant Sumner, this truck represents 45 years in the transport industry, a lifetime spent behind the wheel, building relationsh... ... 

However, when the opportunity to own a Kenworth SAR Legend, Corey Burnett’s, (MD of Burnett’s Transport and Earthmoving) heart took over and he jumped at the chance. So, we have to ask, why does he keep it locked up in the shed?

Corey’s story, spanning 25 years in the industry, is highlighted in the acquisition and meticulous preservation of his Kenworth SAR Legend, but before we explore that, let’s start with Corey himself.

His journey into the trucking world began not with a grand plan, but with the hands-on experience of an apprentice. He honed his skills working for various compa... ... 

For Graham Redington, Managing Director of the Northchill Group, his Kenworth T900 Legend, chassis number 65, is unequivocally the latter. Christened The Big Kahuna, this rig is more than just a truck; it’s the culmination of a lifelong passion and a rolling masterpiece that turns heads on every Kiwi road it graces.

The Kenworth Legend series holds a special place in the hearts of trucking aficionados. These are not mere retro-styled trucks; they are meticulously crafted t... ... 

Graeme and Raelene Skou’s 1977 W924 Kenworth may have started out life with Auckland’s Frankham Leasing as a conventional 350, but a little over four decades and a myriad of paint jobs later, and it’s been transformed into an award-winning showstopper that turns heads and drops jaws.

“We bought it back in 2016 and we totally stripped it and rebuilt the whole thing,” says Graeme. And boy did he.

With an 889137 chassis number and an IM9326 registration, the yellow and gold W924’s history began with carting general materials around the country by Alexander Grain and headed south to Hamilton where it remained until the early 80s, in various states of ownership/... ... 

If the ‘behind every great man…’ adage is true, then it’s safe to say that behind every great transport operator there’s been a great truck. Over the past 60 years Kenworth is a name that’s been synonymous with such outstanding trucks here in NZ, and regardless of configuration, size, or powertrain, over the years they have invariably been on some amazing journeys – here’s the first story about one of these Southpac Legends.

As with most things, it’s always good to start at the beginning, and what better place than this 848 from 1964, carrying the chassis number 81687. This conventional, tandem axle Kenworth actually arrived on NZ shores alongside a sister Kenworth... ...