Back when the news was first announced that VW would be producing a new scout I was uninterested because it was not going to be an IH product.
A bit about me: I have owned a 79 scout II, which my dad and I restored in high school. My dad has owned 9+ scouts since I have been alive (I am 25). I grew up on the trails and in the garage in these, the smell of gas immediately makes me think of the backseat of a Scout. My dad was former president of the local scout clubs, and we still attend the big events every year. I have an IH tractor I restored in college, and I want an IH 1456 FWA tractor soon enough.
Part of the reason my dad and I loved these old vehicles is because they were American-made. Nothing against anything imported, I have plenty of friends who love their imports and I think they are quite cool- but I get a great sense of pride owning a vehicle that is from here. Everything I buy is American made - clothes, shoes, silverware, glassware, my mattress, toothbrush, vehicles, anything I buy, and that is because of growing up and feeding off my dads passion for the American-made scout.
Fun fact about the originals - everything from the mines, to the casting factories, to the assembly line was (for the most-part) owned by International Harvester. So the Scout was American steel, from American mines, built by American hands.
Once I found out the scout was going to be made here again, I was immediately interested. I have nothing against VW at all, my wife's dream car is an old 60s van, but to stay true to it's heritage, I think the scout should try their best to be independent. Meaning their own branded owner's manuals, logos, decals, etc. No VW on the car, especially since Scout Motors is technically operating as their own company. When I read a Motortrend review in 2027, I want to see the Scout Motor's Scout.... not the VW Scout.
I cannot speak for anyone else on this forum, but I know that the people that attend the local scout club in eastern Washington (at least most of the original members from 20+ years ago) would agree with this. A lot of them have worked for International, then Navistar. A lot of them own old IH products that are not scouts (tractors, cream separators, hit-n-miss engines, M1's, hand-tools, refrigerators, etc.). IH has it's own legacy that I hope Scout Motor's tries to continue.
Additionally, I like how proud the new Ford Bronco is to be built in America. My dad has a 2-door sasquatch. It has an American-flag on the shifter, it has a sticker on the windshield that says "Built with Pride at the Michigan Assembly Plant", and it has the VIN plate near the center-console, which says "Made in Detroit, Michigan USA" on it.
These are the kinds of things I hope Scout Motors does to separate themselves from VW. I know they are independent companies, like Fiat owned Chrysler and Ram and they were independent, and had no design correlations. But then again Ford owns Lincoln, and they use almost all of the same components for their cars.
A bit about me: I have owned a 79 scout II, which my dad and I restored in high school. My dad has owned 9+ scouts since I have been alive (I am 25). I grew up on the trails and in the garage in these, the smell of gas immediately makes me think of the backseat of a Scout. My dad was former president of the local scout clubs, and we still attend the big events every year. I have an IH tractor I restored in college, and I want an IH 1456 FWA tractor soon enough.
Part of the reason my dad and I loved these old vehicles is because they were American-made. Nothing against anything imported, I have plenty of friends who love their imports and I think they are quite cool- but I get a great sense of pride owning a vehicle that is from here. Everything I buy is American made - clothes, shoes, silverware, glassware, my mattress, toothbrush, vehicles, anything I buy, and that is because of growing up and feeding off my dads passion for the American-made scout.
Fun fact about the originals - everything from the mines, to the casting factories, to the assembly line was (for the most-part) owned by International Harvester. So the Scout was American steel, from American mines, built by American hands.
Once I found out the scout was going to be made here again, I was immediately interested. I have nothing against VW at all, my wife's dream car is an old 60s van, but to stay true to it's heritage, I think the scout should try their best to be independent. Meaning their own branded owner's manuals, logos, decals, etc. No VW on the car, especially since Scout Motors is technically operating as their own company. When I read a Motortrend review in 2027, I want to see the Scout Motor's Scout.... not the VW Scout.
I cannot speak for anyone else on this forum, but I know that the people that attend the local scout club in eastern Washington (at least most of the original members from 20+ years ago) would agree with this. A lot of them have worked for International, then Navistar. A lot of them own old IH products that are not scouts (tractors, cream separators, hit-n-miss engines, M1's, hand-tools, refrigerators, etc.). IH has it's own legacy that I hope Scout Motor's tries to continue.
Additionally, I like how proud the new Ford Bronco is to be built in America. My dad has a 2-door sasquatch. It has an American-flag on the shifter, it has a sticker on the windshield that says "Built with Pride at the Michigan Assembly Plant", and it has the VIN plate near the center-console, which says "Made in Detroit, Michigan USA" on it.
These are the kinds of things I hope Scout Motors does to separate themselves from VW. I know they are independent companies, like Fiat owned Chrysler and Ram and they were independent, and had no design correlations. But then again Ford owns Lincoln, and they use almost all of the same components for their cars.
Last edited:
