The International Harvester Scout become in manufacturing from 1961 to 1980, and it stays the essence of a hardcore off-street SUV and competes with the CJ Jeeps and Ford Broncos of yore. In 1970, International Harvester unveiled the Scout SR-2, a restrained-version variation of a popular Scout 800A.
The SR-2 is one of the maximum sought-after Scouts with the aid of using conventional vehicle fanatics because of its specific and non-compulsory gentle-pinnacle roof, commemorative paint shades, and burly V8 engine. According to Octane Press, manufacturing for the Scout 800A SR-2 commenced on April 1970, and International Harvester indexed 1,975 SR-2 devices constructed till the give up of July 1970.
Considering over 1/2 of 1,000,000 Scouts of any type left the International Harvester manufacturing unit in Fort Wayne, Indiana, till its very last 1980 manufacturing run, it`s now no longer tough to look why the very restrained SR-2 stays an elusive locate for starstruck conventional vehicle fanatics. However, in case you fancy a Scout SR-2, right here are bits of records you may locate beneficial to your search.
Promotional unique
The first-gen Scout become in manufacturing from 1960 to 1971. The SR-2 bundle seemed in 1970 for the Scout 800A, an up to date Scout 800 with a redesigned the front give up, fortified drivetrains, and an non-compulsory 4.4-liter (266 cubic inches) or five.0-liter (304 cubic-inch) V8 engine. Even aleven though the Scout SR-2 arrived at dealerships as a promotional unique with a Traveltop (tough roof) from the manufacturing unit, International Harvester at first supposed the SR-2 as a V8 roadster with a white Whitco gentle-pinnacle roof.
Moreover, the SR-2 bundle consists of Flame Red paint, white racing stripes at the rocker panels, and chrome Rally-fashion wheels wrapped in Goodyear tires with white letters at the sidewalls. It appeared as sharp as antique vehicles should get, however the advertising branch had different plans in mind.
Octane Press provides that the International Harvester advertising branch notion that 1,000 Scout roadsters might be a difficult sell, so that they determined to make the Whitco gentle pinnacle an non-compulsory function at dealerships.
Two shades only
The Scout SR-2 become to be had in manufacturing unit paint shades: Flame Red and Burnished Gold. Both shades appearance suitable with the non-compulsory white gentle-pinnacle roof. The Scout 800A become to begin with to be had with both a 2.five or 3.2-liter four-cylinder engine, however the engineering crew become type sufficient to make the 3.8-liter inline-six and V8 automobiles to be had for SR-2 buyers. Moreover, customers should specify any transmission or mixture of equipment ratios for the drivetrain.
By the 1980s, competitors like Jeep and Land Rover have been dropping their hardcore countenance, however the Scout stays an agricultural, no-nonsense off-street system. Eventually, International Harvester needed to abandon its manufacturing car facility because of fund shortages, and the organization shifted lower back its recognition to creating business vehicles. The organization rebranded itself to Navistar International in 1986, and German car massive Volkswagen obtained the rights to Navistar in 2021, a deal that consists of the Scout branding.
VW has on account that introduced its motive to restore the Scout as an all-electric powered SUV and pickup truck. We're assured VW will provide it greater electricity and tech functions than ever before, however the attraction of an analog, no-frills, and V8-powered off-street system just like the unique Scout SR-2 is tough to resist.