International Harvester Scout

1961 International Scout 80 with half cab roof

The International Scout was an off-road vehicle which was made by International Harvester from 1960 to 1980. It was one of the earlier SUVs. The Scout was created as a competitor to the Jeep. Remarkably, the Scout went from a basic idea to production in only two years. Like the Jeep it had square utilitarian styling but had cleaner lines. It initially featured a fold-down windshield. The Scout and second generation Scout II were produced in Fort Wayne, Indiana as two-door trucks. They had the options of a half cab pickup or removable hard or soft top.

Background

International Harvester began building trucks and pickups and later in 1907. In 1953 it added a truck-based people carrier, the Travelall. In the late 1950s it began to design a competitor for the two-door Jeep CJ 4x4. The 1961 model year Scout 80 made its debut in late 1960. Scouts began selling so well against Jeep, Ford jumped in with the Bronco and Chevrolet came out with the Blazer.

Production

A concept for its replacement was started in 1964. It was approved for production in mid 1965. The Scout II was introduced in 1971. The basic sheet metal remained the unchanged until production stopped on October 21, 1980. During the 20 year period (1960–1980) 532,674 Scouts were produced. The Scout, introduced as a commercial utility vehicle in 1960, set the stage for future 4-wheel drive recreational vehicles of the '70s, '80s, and '90s.

Scout models

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  1963 International Scout 80
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  1966 International Scout 800
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  1973 International Scout
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  1979 International Scout
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  Scout Traveler

Scout models and variants

Scout models include the:

• Scout 80 (1960–1965): The original
• Scout 800 (1966–1971): Same overall design as original with upgrades (electric wipers, newer engines etc.)
• Scout 810 (1971): Some early Scout II's contain Scout 810 badging on the glove box.
• Scout II (1971–1980): The later standard production model with a removable soft or hardtop (100-inch wheelbase).
• Scout II Terra (1976–1980): The light pickup truck version (118-inch wheelbase).
• Scout II Traveler (1976–1980): This version had a removable fiberglass hardtop, optional third row of seats (118 in wheelbase).
• Super Scout II (1977–1979): This model had removable fabric doors, a rollbar, and softtop. The soft-top model was tagged the "SSII" by IH marketing. Eventually the "SS" letters were assumed to stand for "Super Scout", the name this model is called today.

International Harvester Scout Media

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  Rear view of an International Harvester Scout 80, showing the IH logo and tailgate hooks

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  International Harvester Scout 80 Campermobile

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  An early 1965 Scout 800 built with remaining Scout 80 parts. The hood loop in the center and grill from the 80 are present here. This vehicle's final inspection took place on 10/14/65 and it was deemed a new 800 model.

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  International Harvester Scout 800 Sportop

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  1977 International Scout SSII Baja Cruiser

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  Geneva Motor Show 2017 (photo taken on the first press day)

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  Monteverdi Sahara (1978), shown at the Monteverdi Museum in Basel, Switzerland.

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  IH Scout II with Rallye package

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  A 1976–1980 Scout II Traveler