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As well as making trucks, many companies had turned their facilities over to armaments
and airplane production. Kenworth was contracted to make aluminum aircraft
components for the Boeing plant in Seattle. This expertise was soon put to use in the
design of trucks and engines.
In 1941, Cummins installed the world's first aluminum diesel engine in a Kenworth, and
three yeras later, KW unveiled the first extruded aluminum frame. In an effort to
produce weight-saving trucks, the company began to replace most of the steel sections
with lighter aluminum. As the same time, Kenworth offered purchasers such internal
refinements as heaters and adjustable seats, in addition to luxuries such as sealed
beam headlights and improved wipers.
be sure to stop by and see their driver of the month program at http://www.mttrucking.org