Well many moons ago when this was still new or newish, the Travelette was probably the most likely seen 4dr pickup. IH was the first to offer a 4dr (and before that a 3dr) pickup on the standard order form. GM didn’t have an offering, Ford was special order only and it needed to be a bulk order. Dodge was an option as it was on their standard order form, but only on the 3/4 and 1 ton. Meanwhile over the years IH offered everything from today’s most popular vehicle the 1/2 ton short short bed (5.5′) to a 3/4 ton 6.5′ or 8′ bed up to a 1 ton with a 8′ bed.
Perhaps it’s the low belt-line that makes these IH crew “Travelette” pickups look less ungainly than other 4dr American pickups. I believe IH were #3 in sales after Chevy & Ford for most of the ‘60s.
We would see these all the time in Air Force blue delivering ICBM crews to sites in eastern Wyoming. You would think the agents of armageddon would drive something more appropriate like a Demon or Hellcat.
Kinda rough around the edges, but but then again all IH light trucks were, even when new, in a sexy, industrial kind of way which always appealed to me. Great find!
This is in Santa Cruz, California. The owner came out just as I entered the store … he was older than the truck and disabled, hence the use of the handicapped parking slot. This is a very tight lot … getting this truck in and out without P/S and a presumably heavy clutch might not have been easy, but I didn’t stick around to watch.
It is always nice to see a fine old truck like this still on the road.
It must be quite a challenge to manhandle one of these things around a parking lot, and a bumpy ride on the road. I wonder whether the owner uses this as a daily driver, or has a more comfortable vehicle for general use.
I haven’t seen one of these in about 41 years. I changed the oil and lubed an orangeish red one in 1978 when I was working at a service station. Old guy was driving it, he was a cousin to another old guy who drove a ’50’s Suburban, green with the two doors on the back. Scary thing is, I’m like 3 years older now than the Suburban guy now. We were amazed when we found out he was only 59. We thought he was at least 75. The Sub guy also had a ’57 Chevy, red and white, with a transplanted 350 from a Corvette, but that only came out once a month when he went to his classic car club breakfast. The Sub was out every day, Eddie and his dog in the back.
Since I’m from the industrial south side of Chicago – I saw these fitted with railroad wheels and driven down railroad tracks for maintenance teams. They’re about as attractive as Frankenstein.
I remember seeing these occasionally during my childhood. Perhaps they were more common in Fort Wayne than in other places if only because of the large IH presence in the city at that time. I recall being amazed at the idea of a 4 door pickup.
Although I think I would prefer a Travelall, one of these would be cool to at least get a ride in. I’ll bet this thing would wear me out after a Saturday morning full of errands.
Interesting find. I’m in CA this week (MI resident) and I always see something interesting and unlikely while visiting. What class hitch would you reckon that is?
Yep, IH C1100 pickup
Well many moons ago when this was still new or newish, the Travelette was probably the most likely seen 4dr pickup. IH was the first to offer a 4dr (and before that a 3dr) pickup on the standard order form. GM didn’t have an offering, Ford was special order only and it needed to be a bulk order. Dodge was an option as it was on their standard order form, but only on the 3/4 and 1 ton. Meanwhile over the years IH offered everything from today’s most popular vehicle the 1/2 ton short short bed (5.5′) to a 3/4 ton 6.5′ or 8′ bed up to a 1 ton with a 8′ bed.
I believe the Dodge and IH crew cabs were the only ones to come from the factory with narrow beds as well.
I always liked IH pickups.
Perhaps it’s the low belt-line that makes these IH crew “Travelette” pickups look less ungainly than other 4dr American pickups. I believe IH were #3 in sales after Chevy & Ford for most of the ‘60s.
What year do folks think this dates from?
Now this is a truck doing what trucks do! (or used to do, anyway).
My guess is that this pickup is from 1965. It would be easier to identify from the front. This IH pickup generation is from 1961-1968.
We would see these all the time in Air Force blue delivering ICBM crews to sites in eastern Wyoming. You would think the agents of armageddon would drive something more appropriate like a Demon or Hellcat.
Just be glad they weren’t driving Gremlins.
Kinda rough around the edges, but but then again all IH light trucks were, even when new, in a sexy, industrial kind of way which always appealed to me. Great find!
I’m so accustomed to modern Monster Trucks that I first thought this had been chopped and channeled. Nope, just normal back then.
These IH crew cabs were often used by oil drilling crews, or by railroad crews with rail wheel attachments.
Nice find! Where are you located?
License plate says California.
This is in Santa Cruz, California. The owner came out just as I entered the store … he was older than the truck and disabled, hence the use of the handicapped parking slot. This is a very tight lot … getting this truck in and out without P/S and a presumably heavy clutch might not have been easy, but I didn’t stick around to watch.
Fourdoor IH trucks real ones not pickups were used in Aussie, NZ govt had special built Bedford 5 tonne fourdoors.
It is always nice to see a fine old truck like this still on the road.
It must be quite a challenge to manhandle one of these things around a parking lot, and a bumpy ride on the road. I wonder whether the owner uses this as a daily driver, or has a more comfortable vehicle for general use.
I haven’t seen one of these in about 41 years. I changed the oil and lubed an orangeish red one in 1978 when I was working at a service station. Old guy was driving it, he was a cousin to another old guy who drove a ’50’s Suburban, green with the two doors on the back. Scary thing is, I’m like 3 years older now than the Suburban guy now. We were amazed when we found out he was only 59. We thought he was at least 75. The Sub guy also had a ’57 Chevy, red and white, with a transplanted 350 from a Corvette, but that only came out once a month when he went to his classic car club breakfast. The Sub was out every day, Eddie and his dog in the back.
Since I’m from the industrial south side of Chicago – I saw these fitted with railroad wheels and driven down railroad tracks for maintenance teams. They’re about as attractive as Frankenstein.
I remember seeing these occasionally during my childhood. Perhaps they were more common in Fort Wayne than in other places if only because of the large IH presence in the city at that time. I recall being amazed at the idea of a 4 door pickup.
Although I think I would prefer a Travelall, one of these would be cool to at least get a ride in. I’ll bet this thing would wear me out after a Saturday morning full of errands.
Interesting find. I’m in CA this week (MI resident) and I always see something interesting and unlikely while visiting. What class hitch would you reckon that is?
Working class 😀
Was it actually a 4 door? Early IH Travelettes were 3 door with no LH rear door like 67-72 Suburbans.