The International C series was a range of light pickup trucks built by International Harvester from 1961 to 1968. It replaced the B series and brought a completely new chassis with independent front suspension, a lower cab and the four-door Travelette, which in 1961 became the first American-made four-door four-wheel-drive production pickup.
International C series at a glance
| Maker | International Harvester |
|---|---|
| Production | 1961–1968 |
| Predecessor | International B series |
| Models | C-100 to C-130 in 1961; C-900 to C-1500 from 1963 |
| Gross vehicle weight | 4,200 to 8,800 lb (1,900 to 4,000 kg) |
| Suspension | independent front with torsion bars |
| Cab | mounted four inches lower than before |
| Beds | standard, straight-sided Bonus-Load and a workshop body |
| Crew cab | Travelette, four doors, first American four-door 4×4 pickup |
| Engines | petrol sixes and V8s; D301 diesel to special order from 1963; AMC 232 six from 1968 |
| Later names | D series in 1965, then 900A–1500A, 908B–1500B and 908C–1500C |
Based on one source (English Wikipedia). No free photographs of the C series were found, so the article has no new pictures.
History of the International C series
A new chassis for 1961
The C series arrived in 1961 and looked at first like another facelift, with a modernised front end, but underneath it was a completely new truck. The chassis was new and used independent front suspension with torsion bars, which let the cab sit four inches lower than before. That gave a more car-like ride, although it also meant a larger transmission tunnel hump. The standard pickup bed was joined by a straight-sided Bonus-Load bed and a utility workshop body. Visually the C series was recognised by twin headlights mounted side by side and a concave egg-crate grille, used for 1961 and 1962; from 1963 there was one headlight on each side of a redesigned grille. The wheelbase was longer because the front wheels sat further forward, which improved the front clearance angle despite the lower body. The range ran from the C-100 to the C-130, and the heavier B-series models were not replaced because the C series topped out at 8,800 lb gross vehicle weight. The 1961 C-series Travelette was the first American-made four-door, four-wheel-drive production pickup.
Changing names
The trucks were revised almost every year. For 1963 and 1964 the renamed C-900 to C-1500 range received single headlights and a new convex version of the egg-crate grille. In 1965 the name changed to D series, followed by 900A to 1500A in 1966, 908B to 1500B in 1967 and 908C to 1500C for the final year, 1968, the numbers depending on weight rating. The Travelall estate and the four-door panel van, glazed only in the front doors, followed the same changes; from April 1961 the C-100 and C-110 Travelall rode on a 119-inch chassis.
The C-900 and the engines
The light C-900 was new for 1964. It sat on an extra-short 107-inch wheelbase, used the Scout’s 152-4 four-cylinder engine of 93.4 hp and came with minimal equipment, aimed at the cheap imported trucks that were briefly popular before the Chicken Tax. It was sold without a bed and with a black painted front bumper; a six-foot bed, rear bumper, heater and passenger sun visor were options. It did not sell well: 6,293 C- and D-900s were built in three years, followed by 1,235 900As in 1966. For 1967 the four was replaced by International’s 266 cubic inch V8 of 154.8 hp, and the truck became the 908B, with a 115-inch wheelbase and a longer 6 ft 8 in bed; 6,531 were built, followed by 3,656 908Cs for 1968. Buyers could also order International’s D301 diesel between 1963 and 1968, a 301 cubic inch six of 112.5 hp that was never advertised and was built only in small numbers. For 1968 the optional six was AMC’s 232 cubic inch unit rather than International’s own.
Design and features
- Independent front suspension: torsion bars and a new chassis gave the C series a more car-like ride.
- Lower cab: the body sat four inches lower than the B series.
- Travelette: the four-door crew cab, and in 1961 the first American four-door 4×4 pickup.
- Bonus-Load bed: a straight-sided fleetside bed offered alongside the standard one.
- Hidden diesel: the D301 six was available only to special order and never advertised.
International C series versions
- C-100 to C-130 (1961–1962): the original range with twin side-by-side headlights.
- C-900 to C-1500 (1963–1964): single headlights and a convex grille.
- C-900 (1964): short-wheelbase loss leader with the Scout’s four-cylinder engine.
- Travelette: four-door crew cab.
- Travelall and panel van: estate and glazed-panel versions on a 119-inch chassis.
- D series and 900A–1500C: the renamed successors through 1968.
The C series shared its range with the International Travelall and was replaced by the Light Line trucks that led to the Loadstar. More vehicles are in the International collection.
Sources
- International C series, English Wikipedia: chassis, models, engines, production
