San Ramon Street Sighting - 1972 International Harvester 1210 Travelette Pickup

I've heard a number of jokes about International Harvester trucks and rust. And I know that a lot of them really did succumb to rust. The 1970s IHC pickups are rare enough to start with, even before factoring in attrition from hard work and road salt and moisture. International always was kind of a niche player in the light-duty truck market, doing most of their business with heavy commercial trucks and the Scout SUV. Despite this, the Light Line pickups were offered in a wide range of styles, drivetrains and bed lengths.

San Francisco Street Sighting - 1956 International Harvester SM-120 Metro Van

If ever there was a vehicle I should have posted on St. Patrick's Day back in March, it's this one. Either that, or the Irish community will be happy that I didn't force another stereotype of Irish culture on the holiday of their patron saint. This colorful International Metro with its manic-looking leprechaun and his disturbing mechanical friend are trademarks of O'Grady Plumbing, a business based in San Francisco. A small (I'm sure very small, only a few at most) fleet of these little vans serve as rolling billboards for the company, to be parked in visible locations in the city. I doubt that the Metros see much active duty given their age, condition and rarity.

Los Gatos Street Sighting - 1961 International Harvester Scout 80

I get a little tired of the joke that a rusted International Scout is its natural state. Maybe it's the result of living in California my entire life, but in my experience the Scout and other Internationals are still alive and kicking in decent numbers. On the other hand, in many other parts of the country the vintage International Harvester is nearly extinct. Scouts were tough trucks in their time but unfortunately quite rust-prone. If we're honest, though, most cars and trucks built in the past weren't rustproofed or sealed well and began to corrode after a short time, particularly in climate zones with salt air or harsh winters and road salt. Even an owner's washing habits and paint maintenance made a huge difference in an older vehicle's survival. Internationals were trucks and off-road vehicles, likely put away dirty and wet and having to work out in the elements year-round.

Seaside Street Sighting - 1964 International Harvester C-1100 Pickup

I don't see a whole lot of International Harvester trucks. Part of this is due to their proclivity to rust, and the rest is likely due to the existence of Ford, Chevy and Dodge. Oddly enough, in recent months the IHC faithful have come out of the woodwork and now I'm seeing solid old Internationals all over. This one, however, was actually spotted darn near two years ago in the town of Seaside, while my friend and I were heading to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. It's a 1964 C-1100 longbed pickup.

San Francisco Street Sighting - 1951 International Harvester L-110 Pickup

I haven't featured a whole lot of trucks here, mainly because most old trucks are pretty ordinary. It's the oddball manufacturers mostly that interest me, or at least anything that's not Ford or Chevy. Maybe it's something that's just visually unique and cool, and maybe even pre-1960. Every so often you run across something that satisfies all of those criteria. You get something like this 1951 International Harvester L-110 pickup.

Malibu Street Sighting - 1978 International Scout II

I still really like the late model International Scout II. Competing with the Jeep CJ series originally and then with later models such as the Chevy K5 Blazer and Ford Bronco, the Scout had big shoes to fill. It never became as ubiquitous among personal 4x4s as the Blazer, Bronco or Jeep, but the Scout was a handsome looking and rugged alternative in the marketplace for nearly two decades. These trucks were versatile, offered in a variety of different versions ranging from an open soft top to a removable hardtop to a pickup truck-style roof with open cargo area. Later an extended version of the hardtop and pickup was offered as well.

San Francisco Street Sighting - 1978 International Scout II

I always hear people in other parts of the country talking about how rust-prone the International Scout was. To some extent I believe them. This 1978 Scout II is apparently an anomaly, as are the other Scouts I've spotted in the Bay Area.