Chicago Auto Show: A bit of history, and a really nice Scout
While International doesn't have much recent history at the Chicago Auto Show, there is a relationship between the company and this town that goes back much further than last year's announcement of the CXT truck. The father-son team of Robert H. and Cyrus McCormick developed the first successful reaper back in 1831, and with that came the birth of McCormick Harvesting Company. Nearly 50 years later, Jerome Case's thresher company was rolled into the mix, and soon became the world's largest manufacturer of steam engines. In 1902, further consolidation lead to the formation of the International Harvester Corporation. All of this gives International perhaps the deepest history of any manufacturer on display here in the McCormick Center (a building, not coincidentally, that is named for Robert R. McCormick, the great-nephew of Cyrus).
All of this history is really just an excuse to run some pictures of the nicest International Scout that I've ever laid eyes (and camera) upon, which was on display at the company's booth here in Chicago. For the fans of this vehicle - and I know we have a few of them here - click through and check out the pics of this fine vehicle, as well as a couple of historical promo shots that International included in its press materials (you can click on the promo shots to bring up high-res images).
Click on the pics below if you want to view the original high-resolution shots that were provided by International:
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Leo 4:07PM (2/09/2006)
The worst vehicle I ever owned was a 1968 International TravelAll (scout wagoneer), complete with an oil bath air cleaner and the worst poer-to-weight ratio in history. The thing broke down so constantly it had permanent greasy finger stains at the front of the hood.
What made the thing worse was it was sandwiched in mt car buying history between a 1967 VW Beetle and a 1972 Datsun 510... two of the BEST cars ever.
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CptMystic 5:12PM (2/09/2006)
It so happens I have a '67 Travelall, and love it.
The power to weight (I have the 392 engine) is great,
and it turns heads (and often cars, to get out of the way)
wherever I go. It's broken now and then, sure, but it's
pushing 40 years old!
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BD 5:13PM (2/09/2006)
Sorry Leo, that your Scout wasn't so great.
Doug Flint has a different opinion. Check out this column, it's an interesting read.
http://www.thecarconnection.com/Enthusiasts/Mechanics_Tale/Mechanics_Tale_What_Real_Men_Drive.S281.A9647.html
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John 5:13PM (2/09/2006)
I learned to drive a manual on a 1972 Scout II that came into our family for a couple of years. Wow, was that a real truck. Noisy, no steering feel, big steering wheel with skinny rim, very heavy clutch, and seats as flat as boat cushions (with about the same grade vinyl). But, it was nearly unstoppable. Never broke down. And, could hold a surprising amount of stuff with the rear seat folded. I still love the look of this vehicle, classic proportions, and clean design.
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Mal Fuller 7:34PM (2/09/2006)
The Scout and the Travelall are completely different vehicles. Both came with high speed rust as standard equipment, however!
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Eric Daly 7:37PM (2/09/2006)
Someone should bring back the brand and update it for todays market.
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Hank 11:37PM (2/09/2006)
Dad had a Scout II and I had an IH crew cab pickup in high school. Tough and dependable.
However, a metal steering wheel & vinyl seats in West Texas in the summer are NOT good things.
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tbyron 12:30AM (2/10/2006)
I too learned to drive a stick in my dad's 68 scout convertible (similar to the one towing the airstream)...345 cid V8 w/3-sp on the floor. My lurching caused my kid bros to fall into the back as the back seat wasn't mounted. Fun truck
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Glenn Arlt 8:18AM (2/10/2006)
Up here in the north, where Internationals tended to rust "at the speed of light" (somewhat worse than all other vehicles of the same era, anyway) you STILL see Scouts out and about doing the hardest, most truck-breaking work possible for a light-truck - plowing.
Bearing in mind tha the last Scout was built some 24 years ago (doesn't time fly) and that most of the ones still plowing are at least 7 to 15 years older than that, and you might be amazed at what International could do with light truck technology.
Yeah, the seats were often "bench" (like, park bench) and vinyl covered, but so were all of the GMC, Chevy, Ford, Dodge etc. vehicles of the era - and they've now been through the junk yard, through the crusher and came back as a Japanese car, been through the junkyard, been through the crusher and come back for a 3rd life as a South Korean car .
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Pinkerton 12:04PM (2/10/2006)
Thanks for the article. The Scout has a following here in Northern Michigan. I am convinced that a person could make a living simply by "importing" old Scouts from Arizona.
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Pigue 4:00PM (2/10/2006)
The Scout and the Travelall were two completely different vehicles. What was nice about any of the IHC light trucks was their duability. I owned both a Scout and a Travelall. If you spend two seconds on Ebay, you will find a lot of Internationals still in demand! Here is an interesting article with pictures about the Scouts and a concept vehivle being worked on before they dropped the line.
http://www.binderbulletin.org/faq/15.htm#11
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