image: hankstruckpictures.com
What was the biggest Brougham of the Great Brougham Epoch? It wasn’t a Cadillac, Lincoln or Imperial, believe it or not. Nope, the trophy goes to something that you may not expect: The International Eagle Brougham. Yes, IH made a big rig Brougham.
image: wisconsinhistory.org
In a recent discussion with frequent CC reader and commenter Sean, he informed me of the Eagle Brougham. As he related:
I was talking to my Dad a little last night, mainly begging for [old car] pics. He reminded me that in the early 80s you could get an IH Transtar Eagle Brougham in conventional (4300 series) and Cab Over (4070 series). No vinyl top but a lot of Gingerbread. Not the Broughamiest but maybe the Biggest. The interior was what made the package, deep tufted Red Velour, built-in CB, optional TV, Brown Shag carpet and dark wood paneling.. It’s almost like someone’s basement “party room” from the 70s.
image: hankstruckpictures.com
After doing a search for pictures of this most elusive Brougham, I found a most excellent one on hankstruckpictures.com (a very cool website for vintage truck fans, check it out!) owned by Brandon Waddell. More details on his truck can be found here, but apparently only a few hundred were made.
image: hankstruckpictures.com
So apparently, the Brougham Epoch may not have taken off in the big rig market, but it was attempted. Ah, the ’70s, how different it was from today. And special thanks to Sean, for letting me know about a cool Big Rig Brougham I’d never heard of before.
image: hankstruckpictures.com
I drove a 2000 model Navistar day cab tractor unit for a time, full leather interior etc nice truck though a little underpowered for the trip it was on only had a 430hp Cat and 18 speed RR and NZs hwy5 has very steep climbs on it so it wasnt unusual to be in low box pulling a 27 tonne payload good jakes though I could do my whole 400km run without using the brakes.
Being an IH guy I’ve been aware of these for sometime. In fact one of my Binder Brethren has one he’s restored and I contacted him months ago to see if he would provide pictures for a story or write the story of his truck. A couple of months after I sent the original PM he did send one back that he would be interested in doing both at some point.
At my previous job my bid tractor was a TranStar setup for hosteling work with a single drive and hydraulic 5th wheel. I also got some time on the ProStars that where used for routes. All were good solid, efficient trucks with the red wonder under the hood.
The Modern Equivelent of this in Internationals Lineup is LoneStar. Its effectively a ProStar Brougham with a ugly chrome beak and a fancy pants interior. You can also get the traditional PACCAR Largecars (389 Pete & W900 KW) with a fancy pants interior.
I’m not a fan of fru-fru interiors in my equipment. Give me a quality air ride seat, good sound insulation, any stereo that takes CDs &/or MP3 input and a good HVAC system and I’m happy. Vinyl, rubber and plastic are easier to keep clean and good looking.
I’d run that LoneStar all day long.
If I went back to driving I’d love to have that ride. I want fru fru if I’m going to be living in the thing. 😀
In 10 years of going to the Jamboree in Walcott, Ia I can’t believe I haven’t run in to one of these.
This may be the year, I’m seeing a lot of restorations/recreations online.
There was at least one of these running in BC back in the day, I used to see it fairly often. I never really thought the “Trans Am” treatment worked, but the Transtar itself was always a solid truck. I agree on keeping it simple in the interior. Give me a good seat, good insulation, A/C and decent tunes. Trucking in my part of the world involves mud, snow, chaining up etc. Carpet and cloth don’t stay presentable long.
I’m glad to see this truck kept up, most trucks of this vintage are long gone.
My thoughts exactly. Give an interior like that a few seasons running a Haul Road, Donne, Cabbage etc and the interior will look like heck.
The ATHS National Show is in Yakima WA next year from 5/30-6/1. All sorts of stuff vintage. I caught the 2010 show in the Bay Area of CA and was glad I went.
I caught an ATHS show in Las Vegas a few years ago. It was a lot more fun than the casinos, at least for a gearhead like me. I might check Yakima out, it’s only about a 6 hour drive and if I package it with a trip to Seattle I can probably sell it to Mrs. tiredoldmechanic.
My dad and I had a eagle brougham back in the day we bought it from Kishes in Chilliwack BC they used it for a lowbed truck till my dad bought it had a KT 450 engine that worked beautiful to this day one of the niced trucks I
have ever drove
Nice concept.
While most of the big-rig jockeys didn’t go for the Brougham label, they DID opt for elaborate interiors, back in the day. Some do, still…but trucking is changing, as I learned a year ago trying to get back into it. Laid-back schedules are GONE. Satellite tracking is almost universal and will be required this year. Hours spent pouring over highway atlases; when I did it in 1990, we just pointed and went. “Stay on Truck Routes” was all we were told then.
Then there’s the problem of all the closed rest areas and jam-packed truck stops. Just getting to the facilities is a difficult task, and leads to some unsavory adaptations. And some accidents that come of those practices.
That; and road dirt; and no time to clean and vacuum; and you got the makings of a real MESS.
Unsavory adaptations? Surely you aren’t suggesting that trying to guide 70 tons with your knees at 110 km/h while peeing in a plastic Pepsi bottle (don’t spill any !) could lead to an accident?
And since we’re in a hurry let’s not bother getting under the truck and checking the brakes either. Time is money after all.
Trucking has indeed changed, and not for the better.
A wide-mouth jar, like a peanut container, works better.
Yup. What’s REALLY fun is when your partner spills it all over your bunk and the floor.
I’m glad I’m not doing that today. I’d rather be living in a homeless shelter….really.
How do they go with enforcing rest breaks & working hours over there? Not to mention drugs. I gather there isn’t as much speed enforcement – heavy trucks are (theoretically) limited to 100km/h, around 25 years ago there were a lot that would do 85mph or sometimes more but no more.
Not sure if these trucks made it out here, they look similar to the S-Line (my uncle has one of these) but not quite the same?
I’d totally forgotten about that! Wow; the seventies were wonderful, weren’t they?
I have to admit, I kind of like that giant eagle decal. It would look perfect pulling a transporter full of black and gold 1977 Trans Ams.
It should have been “Snowman’s” truck in the Smokey and the Bandit films… 😛
Smokey and the Broughamdit.
Oh…yeah. One other thing…notice the VENT WINDOWS on that truck?
Vent windows are all but gone from new trucks. Not supposed to smoke on the job…in the truck if it’s a company truck…you want fresh air, roll the window down. If you don’t want your waybills blowing all over the place and out the window, roll them up and use the A/C we paid for.
Oh, the A/C isn’t working? Too bad, too sad…bring it in to the Home Terminal. We’ll get your Safety PQSs out of the way same time…allow two days for it.
NO, we aren’t paying you for lost time!
…like I said, trucking has changed.
Hehe, if the Canyonero was offered in a Brougham edition…
Great looking tractor, awesome!!!
Remember first seeing one back in 1980, on truckstop parking.
The top of the line: Eagle Brougham, was intended to “fight” on the same ground as Petes & VIT Kens..competition was tough: Pete & Kens dominated in this “high end” market, not a big succes indeed for IH.
Got to love that so 70’s decal/paint scheme, totally awesome… (designers at IH, surely must have been inspired by the wildly succesful …T/A “Screaming Chicken”!!!).
(doubt that a similar “treatment” would be on the exterior of a LoneStar!!!)