Mini Kenworth draws a crowd

A Canadian truck operator is grabbing plenty of attention with its fully functional and feature-perfect scale-replica Kenworth tanker

If ever you wanted proof of the old adage, ‘good things come in small packages’, look no further than this stunning scale-replica Kenworth tanker.

Regularly found at truck shows in and around Quebec, Canada, it’s the result of a little idea that got way out of hand back in 2007. That was when Jacques Auger, owner and founder of fuel transport specialist Transport Jacques Auger, decided he wanted to build a little miniature truck to include in his home town’s Christmas parade.

Good friend Donald Gringras then got involved and became a major force in seeing the project through to completion. What was initially going to be little more than a golf cart towing a model tanker made way for a fully blown 1:2.2 scale model of one of Auger’s Kenworth tankers. Some 2600 hours of effort and $85,000 later, in a project that also involved a variety of subcontractors, the Mini Kenworth was born.

Even more impressive, the finished model is fully operational and is powered by a three-cylinder, 1.7-litre, 37hp (27.2kW) Cummins diesel engine. A turbo was thrown on for good measure and it drives through a five-speed Ford Ranger transmission and Suzuki 4WD differentials.

Everything works just as it would on its full-size inspiration, a Kenworth W900L, and the 40-foot tanker is regularly used for dispensing drinks at the shows and events it attends.

Auger says it never fails to draw a smile from kids and adults alike. Take a look at the YouTube clip below and we’re sure you’ll agree!

Mini Kenworth draws a crowd

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