Historiography: A Scout's Honor

On October 24, an old name from the farm and mountain trail was reborn. 

It was name we almost forgot about. In the din of off-road vehicles that have been making a mockery of everything it touched, we often failed to remember that there was once a mighty vehicle that competed head on with Kaiser-Jeep.

That vehicle was the International Harvester Scout. And, now, that legacy has been resurrected in the name of Scout Motors. 

First, what is Scout Motors? In 2021, Volkswagen Group purchased Navistar – a medium-to-heavy duty truck manufacturer that was the outgrowth of International Harvester. As part of the purchase Volkswagen Group had access to a lot of intellectual property, including model names. Which is why the new entity is called Scout Motors.

Based in Northern Virginia, Scout Motors is a fully American unit of Volkswagen Group. Their aim is to build a lineup of battery-electric off-road capable vehicles out of their plant near Columbia, South Carolina. 

The introduction of these electric off-roaders will close a 44-year gap since the last International Scout was produced in 1980. That year, International Harvester exited the production of light trucks. This was due to financial issues, cost cutting, and labor actions against the company. 

International Harvester’s primary market was the agricultural sector with farm implements – including their well-known Farmall tractors. They competed in that segment with the likes of John Deere, Massey Ferguson, Ford, and Allis Chalmers. The red Farmall tractors and implements contrasted against the green John Deeres and blue Fords out on the rural farmlands across the USA.

International Harvester also made construction equipment from their earthmoving division. There was no real data showing where they stood in that market – one that is dominated by John Deere among other companies.

In 1907, International Harvester began producing trucks for the road. They knew they had to expand on their customer base, as early trucks had to be developed to haul large quantities of good across town and beyond. Commercial customers liked the Motor Truck and utilized them for many applications. The Motor Truck would evolve into International’s medium and heavy truck lineup. 

That line expanded to include the Metro van in 1938. These vans competed against delivery vehicles that worked within cities and suburbs for many commercial customer types – from repair services to dairy delivery. 

By the end of World War II, International Harvester introduced a “modern” pickup truck in the K and KB Series. The pickup truck market was wide open with General Motors, Ford, Chrysler Corporation, Studebaker, Hudson, and Willys offering competitive vehicles to commercial and agricultural customers. 

Through the K and KB Series, International Harvester already had a customer base in the agriculture sector. Farmers and co-ops that own Farmall tractors and implements added K and KB pickup trucks to their fleets. Some even used these trucks as farm-based personal vehicles. 

The evolution of International Harvester light truck lineup would eventually lead them to compete in a new segment – off-road capable utilities. The postwar iconography of Willys’ (later Kaiser) Jeep found new uses on the farm, as well as out in the forests and parklands. Only a few customers saw uses as personal recreational vehicles. 

Yet, there was a spark over at International Harvester’s headquarters in Chicago. They had the engineering and technology to produce a vehicle to rival the Jeep CJ series. They gad the technology to do so, specially when their four-wheel drive systems were on the level of Kaiser-Jeep’s. 

Plus, International Harvester already produced their own engine – the 152 slant four-cylinder engine. It was also on par with Kaiser-Jeep’s Hurricane four-cylinder, which made the business case for producing the Scout a good one.

International Harvester knew that there was an untapped market for "recreational vehicles." They also knew that the first customers would be loyal farmers and co-ops with Farmall tractors and A Series pickup trucks. They were confident that they could compete with Kaiser-Jeep in this segment.

The small recreational vehicle market was not just occupied by a war hero from Toledo. Imported offerings came from the likes of Land Rover, Toyota, and Nissan. American consumers did not take these foreign offerings seriously at the start of the 1960s. All they knew was the Kaiser-Jeep CJ series. 

That would change by 1960 when International Harvester introduced the Scout 80. 

What made the Scout different than the Jeep CJ was its design. Instead of exposed fenders, International Harvester went for a boxed body design. Enclosed fenders with a straightforward and contemporary body that truly set the tone for 1960s automotive design. 

The Scout was primarily made for maximum utility. You could get them as an open vehicle or with a hardtop. A hardtop was also available to cover the front seats to create a pickup truck. Early models had a fold-down windshield and sliding windows on the doors. 

While International Harvester supplied the first engines for the Scout, they established a relationship with American Motors to supply in-inline six-cylinder and V8 engines for the Scout, the larger Light Line pickup trucks and the Travelall wagon. These engines appeared in International Harvester light trucks before AMC bought Jeep from Kaiser in 1970. 

As an outgrowth of the 80 models, the Scout 800 appeared in 1965 with a host of improvements. One of which was a short-lived turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Most Scouts came with the standard four-cylinder, one of two in-line six-cylinders, or a V8.

By the time the Scout 800 and Jeep CJ-5 continued to attract recreational vehicle customers, they were joined by the 1966 Ford Bronco. Despite being one of two suppliers of the original World War II Military Jeep, the Bronco was the first such vehicle to join in the "recreational vehicle" segment from the “Big Three.” It did not cannibalize sales from Kaiser-Jeep and International Harvester, however. They simply added volume to a segment that was garnering for more demand.  

General Motors and Chrysler Corporation had been considering such a vehicle to compete with the Bronco, Scout, and CJ-5. Their main concern was the cost in developing a specific platform to match the size and prowess of these three recreational vehicles. To them, the only solution was to utilize their pickup truck platforms in creating a vehicle capable of following the three competitors onto the trail. 

GM answered first by shortening the truck frame to an open space from the windshield back. The K5 Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Jimmy arrived for 1969 appearing larger than the Bronco, CJ-5 and Scout. Chrysler did not respond until 1974 with the arrival of the Dodge Ramcharger and Plymouth Trailduster. Both of these vehicles followed the same formula as GM as shortened pickup truck frames and integrated bodies. 

AMC’s response to this growing market was to buy Jeep from Kaiser in 1970. This also gave AMC a pickup truck and large family wagon to compete with GM, Ford, Chrysler, and International Harvester. Studebaker left the pickup truck business just before it closed its doors in the mid-1960s. 

While all of these new product and market maneuvers were happening, International Harvester was ready to introduce the Scout II in 1971. It grew in size and stature this time around to compete with the growing competition offering larger models. Still, the Scout II showed off its prowess off highway as it had in its previous iteration. 

You can go with a soft or hard top on the Scout II. International Harvester also added a fiberglass roofed Traveler starting from 1976. The Traveler and the half-cab Terra were built on a stretched body by 18 inches over the standard Scout II. 

A few grille design changes sustained the International Scout II until the company ceased production of its light truck division in 1980. By then, the Ford Bronco moved on the F-Series platform to compete with the Chevrolet Blazer, GMC Jimmy, and Dodge Ramcharger. AMC expanded the Jeep CJ-5 line with the CJ-7. The latter featured a larger passenger opening. Hardtop models had larger, more functional doors, as well as a strong hardtop option.

Over the years, fewer Scouts were seen running around both on- and off-road. Mostly seen in various states of conditions. Minnesota Governor (and former Vice President nominee) Tim Walz owns a Scout II – perhaps one of a few notables that own one today. 

Which leads us to today. The Scout's legacy has been cemented in an all-new battery-electric driven – or, range-extending driveline – off-road capable SUV. The Scout Traveler SUV is now a four-door, as is the Terra pickup truck.

The International Harvester Scout should always be remembered by giving us the possibilities of what an off-road capable vehicle can be. Over four decades later, this recreational vehicle has been reborn with electrons flowing through its veins.

A lesson in resurrected history: If you reminagine it, people will come and embrace it.

Cover photo courtesy of Jeremy from Sydney, Australia, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons