In March 2010, Drake Collectibles debuted its first model—the Kenworth T908 with a 4x8 Swingwing Trailer and 2x8 Dolly. To bring this project to life, they partnered with TWH Collectibles, a U.S.-based diecast manufacturer renowned for high-quality construction and heavy equipment models, entrusting them with production.
When TWH shut down in 2013, Drake Collectibles continued producing models from the same factory, as well as through WSI and direct partnerships with factories in China. This was just the beginning because as we now know, Drake has become a powerhouse in truck diecasts worldwide.
The original release featured eight T908 trucks, each paired with a colour- and livery-matched Swingwing trailer. A glance at the original ad’s pricing is enough to make collectors wince, considering how much some of these models are worth today.
Speaking of price, let's examine how these models have performed. Interestingly, there are B-suffixed variants for a few of these models—though it's not entirely clear why. There doesn't appear to be any significant difference between the non-B-suffixed and B-suffixed models of the same color/livery, aside from the size of the production run which suggests that the B-suffixed models may be a 'series 2' release. We'll focus only on the variants for which sales records are available.
Production run of 300
Current Diecast Detective Price (New/Used): $840/764
Production run of 450
Current Diecast Detective Price (New/Used): $750/616
Production run of 250
Current Diecast Detective Price (New/Used): $1019/494
Production run of 300
Current Diecast Detective Price (New/Used): $1069/878
T09002B - Drake Orange
Production run of 300
Current Diecast Detective Price (New/Used): $620/509
T09003 - NQHH (North Qld Heavy Haulage)
Production run of 200. According to Drake, 100 units were released to the public, 60 were allocated to NQHH and 40 were lost in the 2011 flood.
Current Diecast Detective Price (New/Used): $3009/2471
This is easily the most valuable of all the T908 models and vies for the title of the most valuable Drake model.
T09004 - McAleese TransportProduction run of 450
Current Diecast Detective Price (New/Used): $1426/746
These aren't the only T908 w/Swingwing models released by Drake. In early 2011 a company livery-only range was released which included
Tenkate,
Doolan's,
Lampson and another
NQHH.
