Pete’s Looking Mighty Fine for 75

DENTON, TX — Peterbilt celebrates its 75th anniversary with a special limited-edition Model 579 truck and a North American tour.

What does the 75th Anniversary Edition Model 579 look like?

“It combines the Model 579’s advanced technologies, distinctive styling and state-of-the-art aerodynamics with numerous accents and details honoring the original 1939 Peterbilt,” said Robert Woodall, Peterbilt director of sales and marketing.

The anniversary edition Model 579 is for sale and can be ordered through all full-service Peterbilt dealerships.

Among the features of the Model 579 75th Anniversary Edition are:

• Individually numbered with limited production.
• 75th anniversary emblems on the sleeper exterior.
• Highly polished hood crown surrounding a grille with a new oval design reminiscent of Peterbilt’s heritage.
• Chrome-finished, three-piece steel bumper.
• Bright sunvisor, side air intake bezels and rearview mirror housing.
• Optional two-tone paint design with exclusive Diamond Red color of the original Peterbilt model.
• Bright rocker panels that complement the anniversary paint design.
• Anniversary logoed mud flaps affixed with stainless-steel hangers.
• Platinum Titanium interior that creates an integrated design theme through the cab and sleeper with a dark dash top, door pads and sleeper cabinets with blackwood trim and complimentary colored carpet.
• Anniversary dash emblem that includes the unique production number of the truck.
• Multi-function steering wheel leather wrapped with custom stitching.
• Black leather Evolution LX seats embroidered with the anniversary logo on the headrest.
• Interior bright accents such as anniversary logoed shifter plate with polished shift lever and blackwood knob (manual transmissions only); gauge bezels; chrome interior door handle; and chrome billet throttle, clutch and brake pedals.

Pete in Rearview

In 1939, T.A. Peterman founded Peterbilt. At the time, it was manufacturing specialized, heavy-duty trucks out of Oakland, California and was a regional brand. But the company grew quickly, going from producing dozens to hundreds of vehicles.

Then in 1958 Paccar Inc., then called Pacific Car and Foundry, acquired ol’ Pete and two years later manufacturing was relocated to Newark, California. That decade the company’s truck output, market share and distribution network grew significantly. Peterbilt opened a second plant in Madison, Tennessee in 1969 to meet the increased demand and to better serve its customers from coast to coast.

In 1980, a new manufacturing facility opened in Denton, Texas, which today is Peterbilt’s headquarters.

Today, the plant can produce more than 160 vehicles daily, but Peterbilt Class 6-7 trucks are manufactured in Ste. Therese, Quebec, and the Paccar Engine lineup is produced in Columbus, Mississippi. Vehicles are distributed through a network of Peterbilt dealerships with more than 290 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Anniversary Tour

Throughout 2014 Peterbilt will celebrate its anniversary with thousands of customers.

A special edition Model 579 with a museum on wheels will visit Peterbilt dealerships and industry events. The museum is a converted trailer filled with displays, historic artifacts and interactive kiosks.

Inside, people will be able to view an original 1939 Peterbilt crown and grille, timeline of significant company vehicles and achievements, interactive displays, and hands-on examples showcasing Peterbilt products and technologies.

Pete will also publish and sell a 250-page coffee-table style book with an overview of the company’s evolution, photos and facts about landmark models, customer profiles and a section on Peterbilt’s leading brand.


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