In 1970 White Trucks started the Western Star division as White Western Star from about 1970 until 1979. By 1980, White was insolvent, despite employing Semon E. "Bunkie" Knudsen, son of General Motors legend Semon Knudsen, and President of Ford Motor Company in 1969–70. In 1990 Western Star Trucks was purchased by Australian businessman Terry Peabody, who turned around the company's fortunes over the next 10 years, and in 2000 the company was purchased by the Daimler AG truck division, Freightliner.