Much-loved truck maker Peterbilt rolled out its Model 589 with much fanfare at the Pride & Class Truck Show in Texas recently. Stamped as “legendary,” the Peterbilt 589 featured instantly recognizable traits such as a long, low, all-aluminum hood, wraparound grille crown with triple bars, 7-inch exhaust stacks, and more.
The model’s history traces all the way back to the Model 351, which was debuted in 1954. That was followed by the Model 359, 379, and 2007’s 389, which continued to build on a loyal and enthusiast following for the OEM. Peterbilt will close production on the 389 this year.
Peterbilt CEO Jason Skoog says it’s not a given that Peterbilt’s classic design and look will continue in the future. The 589, which carries the legacy of its predecessors, could be the last of its kind.
“If you go back through our history, it’s every 15 to 20 years [that] we redo the traditional Peterbilt truck. So, this will carry us at least into the 2040 time frame,” Skoog told journalist. “You can never predict the future, but I would say ‘quite possibly.’”
Defining features of Peterbilt 589
One of the main reasons for the 589 to replace the 389 was to give it a wider, modern 2.1-metre cab. This will provide drivers with additional space between seats, and help the manufacturer align with current industry standards for cabs.
“Our world-class engineering team spent thousands of hours to seamlessly integrate design attributes of those traditional trucks into the wider Peterbilt cab you find in the Models 579 and 567,” Skoog said. “At every step of the way, new solutions were proposed. We modeled them, we evaluated them, and we scrutinized them. When the final full-scale model came to life, the connection to the heritage was evident—without any compromise to the performance, efficiency and innovation that are the hallmarks of our products.”
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