Leaving The Best To Last! Manheim To Auction A Coveted Kenworth Legend SAR For Don Watson Transport

• Manheim has sold more than 300 Don Watson Transport trucks and trailers across 2025/6, but none quite like this magnificent Kenworth special edition.
• Don Watson management is keen to work with the buyer on funding a new paint livery to replace the company’s iconic light blue.
• “I never would have been able to sell this many unique and separate pieces of equipment myself without the support of a partner like Manheim,” said Lyndon Watson.

Manheim Australia in partnership with Don Watson Transport (DWT) is proud to be auctioning a prime mover like no other: a mint Kenworth Legend SAR 50th Anniversary Edition, the pride of its fleet and number 300 in a strictly limited production run.

This special truck, number 300 in a series of 750, was suitably enough DWT’s 300th vehicle, and is the final truck in its large logistics fleet to be sold via Manheim Australia auctions—following its difficult decision to close the business in 2025.

This is no run-of-the-mill workhorse. This ‘Truckie’s Truck’ is modelled on the legendary W900SAR built and sold in Australia from 1975 to 1987. A formidable old-school throwback on the one hand, a capable modern load hauler ready for work on the other.

Kenworth was inundated when it revealed the Legend SAR in 2021—the third in a series of high-profile and coveted special edition models—with the entire production run sold out in a single day. In other words, these trucks are in demand, and they don’t grow on trees.

Everything about it commands attention: the round tanks, spider wheels, 7-inch stacks with rain caps, power-coated tanks and bullbar, and signature DWT pale blue paint.

Unlike the other DWT vehicles, this beast will be sold in its current livery, with the company eager to work with the eventual buyer and contribute up to $25,000 for a new paint job in their desired scheme. A flat white re-spray done for re-selling just won’t do this mighty machine justice!

The Legend SAR comes with a 50-inch sleeper, KoolKat bunk air-conditioning, an upright bar fridge, microwave, inverter, two UHF radios, a TV and soundbar, and a retro cabin bristling with wood and leather.

It runs an X15 Cummins engine with 600hp and 2050 lbft of torque with warranty plus, Meritor axles with diff locks, and an Airglide 460 rear suspension. Being the pride of the DWT fleet, it’s barely even run-in, with only 176,867km on the odometer.

The Don Watson Transport sell-down campaign was a significant task for Manheim Industrial, a global auction company with an Australia-wide footprint that specialises in selling used equipment of all shapes and sizes, as well as advisory and valuation work.

Don Watson is a special company. A highly regarded, multi-generational transport and cold stores provider, it was essential to manage the sale of its 140 trucks and 170 trailers in methodical fashion, in a tough environment where freight businesses are struggling.

Via a series of five online auctions drawing tens of thousands of bids, Manheim has now sold all but one truck and most of the trailers.

“What ultimately set Manheim apart during the process was their ability to genuinely listen. Rather than presenting a generic solution, they took the time to understand exactly what we were trying to achieve with the sale of the fleet,” said Don Watson Transport chief executive Lyndon Watson.

“They then structured a proposal that aligned with those objectives and delivered a practical outcome. That willingness to listen first and tailor the solution accordingly is what distinguished Manheim from the other parties we spoke with.

“I never would have been able to sell this many unique and separate pieces of equipment myself without the support of a partner like Manheim.

“Manheim helped alleviate the stress of managing so many transactions, handling storage, painting, advertising and remarketing our fleet via its online auctions. We had no appreciation of the level of heartache we were going to be in for had we gone it alone.

“Engaging with the Manheim online auctions brought in a massive number of potential buyers, in a market that has been softening since in the middle of last year. The way Manheim has been able to navigate that and continue to bring in buyers to get us proper market rates beyond expectations for the equipment, has been invaluable.

“We achieved what we felt were the right market outcomes, and a lot better than we could have hoped for doing it any other way.”

About Manheim

Nationwide auction and valuation specialist Manheim Industrial Australia achieved all-time record business results in 2025 in terms of asset volume sold and overall business revenue.

The company saw a 21% increase year-on-year in terms of revenue, growth across most metropolitan and regional centres, and a 10% increase in assets consigned to auction or direct sales. Reflecting increased engagement, website traffic was up almost 20% YoY.

Across 2025, the business ran around 450 timed ‘BidNow’ auctions, a cadence of more than one per day. It offered around 30,000 items, attracted tens of thousands of unique bidders, and sold to nearly 10,000 different buyers across Australia and New Zealand.

The company observed substantial upticks in volume both consigned and purchased by industry and government organisations in longtime core asset classes, including Civil, Construction & Earthmoving, and Plant and Machinery.

The company’s nationwide operation also delivered strong incremental growth from its bolstered advisory and insolvency channel for business liquidations, and via investments in the company’s valuations capabilities, which are now stronger and more qualified than ever before.

These highly strategic growth areas enabled the company to broaden its network of partners in the banking, financial, insolvency and corporate sectors.

As well as the ‘usual’ gear, including trucks, mining gear, yellow earthmoving equipment, plant, tractors, etc., Manheim Industrial sold a number of more unusual items throughout the calendar year.

Assets sold included a brewery and distillery, a flight simulator, a bottling plant, swathes of tunnelling equipment, gear for the Australian Antarctic Division, a pickle factory, plastics factory, entire restaurants and cafes, an oil and gas workover rig, and a number of boats and caravans.

The Industrial asset division is a vital part of the broader Manheim Australia business, which also provides remarketing and logistics services to the passenger vehicle and salvage sectors.

Manheim is a leading auction company with a nationwide footprint, entrusted to value and sell equipment on behalf of lenders, insolvency practitioners, leasing firms, governments, SMEs, large corporates, dealerships, OEMs, insurers, rental companies and more.

Our business values and auctions everything from small hatchbacks and SUVs to trucks, combine harvesters, graders, mining gear, and brewing or distilling equipment, and stands ready to assist and advise organisations both large and small.

The company offers its clients an extensive physical network of sites and deep sector experience in the Australian and New Zealand markets, with its presence on both sides of the Tasman a key point-of-difference in a competitive market.

Every year, we run thousands of auction events, either in-person or online, and have a broad network of buyers and sellers engaging on our platform.

Manheim is better placed than ever before to handle end-to-end asset remarketing needs, with its footprint and highly engaged team of specialists here to help sellers realise the highest and fastest returns possible.

Manheim Australia is part of Manheim, a global remarketing company based in the United States with 121 wholesale operating locations across several continents, 30,000 employees, and $46 billion USD in annual turnover. Its parent company, Cox Automotive, is the world’s largest vehicle services firm.