March/April 2026 Vintage Truck
/The March/April 2026 issue of the magazine is available in our gift shop now and will be available on newsstands soon. The cover feature of the 1962 International Scout 80 with pickup cab is a keeper! Check out the cover story by B. Mitchell Carlson, Photos by Brad Bowling.
Cover Story | 1962 International Scout 80
“Replace the Horse”
Alan Swenson’s 1962 International Scout 80 with pickup cab is a keeper!
Story by B. Mitchell Carlson, Photos by Brad Bowling
When International Harvester’s Motor Truck Division Chief of Styling Ted Ornas famously penned the original Scout concept at his kitchen table, it was a response by upper management to come up with a unique vehicle to compete with the Kaiser-Willys line of Jeep vehicles, primarily the CJ series.
Ornas later in life recalled that, in 1958, he was told by W.D. Reese, who oversaw Motor Truck Division’s engineering department, to develop some ideas on a low-cost, light-duty truck that could “replace the horse” in rural areas. Market analysis in the Western states concluded that there was a ready market for such a vehicle that was more compact than a 1/2-ton pickup, with the capability of four-wheel drive—yet larger and more civilized than the Jeep CJ-5.
Initial concept renderings by Ornas, who was immediately sold on the idea, tended to be more of a Jeep CJ clone and were rejected. It was after those concepts were rejected and the idea began to stall within the company that Ornas had his “aha” kitchen inspiration in late 1958 for simple, yet stylish, lines. Seeing that management was focused heavily on a low production cost, the idea of using a plastic body was bandied about in planning meetings during 1959, but after Ornas’ team crunched the numbers for a polymer from Goodyear, the high cost brought everyone back to using stamped steel. That group included the purse holders that released funds for tooling the vehicle in steel. With the go-ahead for a steel-bodied vehicle, the design was able to mature and be finalized by April 1960, targeted for release for 1961.
We would love to get a copy of the March/April 2026 issue of Vintage Truck magazine in your hands! 10 pages of International Scout goodness and so much more is waiting for you!
Articles in this issue include:
FEATURES
The Plumber’s Delivery Truck
This 1938 Dodge RE-31 express represents the final year of production at the Lynch Road truck plant!
Story by Loren Hoekema, Photos by Brad Bowling“Replace the Horse”
Alan Swenson’s 1962 International Scout 80 with pickup cab is a keeper!
Story by B. Mitchell Carlson, Photos by Brad BowlingWhat’s a Monster Truck Doing on the Showroom Floor?
Jason Ruona’s 1987 F-250 Bigfoot Cruiser is an amazing footnote in Ford’s pickup history!
Story by Robert Gabrick, Photos by Brad Bowling
DEPARTMENTS
Letter from the Editor
Letters to the Editor
Chevy Talk: 1982 Chevrolet C-30
Milestone Pickup Trucks: 1960 Chevrolet/GMC Pickups
Photos from the Attic
The Road Less Traveled: Tempo Trucks
Spoked Wheels: More Dump Trucks
Aid for the Anxious Amateur:
Flush and fill your old truck’s cooling systemClassifieds
Show Guide
Granny Gear: Mothman and the Corduroy Road
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