The International Light Line pickups replaced the C series in early 1969 and were International Harvester’s last attempt at the light truck market. Square-rigged and closely related to the Scout in appearance, they offered more wheelbase and transmission choices than any rival — but production ended in April 1975 after only about 6,000 trucks.
International Light Line pickup at a glance
| Maker | International Harvester |
|---|---|
| Production | 1969–1975 |
| Predecessor | International C series |
| First names | D-series, 1000 to 1500 |
| From 1971 | 1010 to 1510 |
| From 1974 | 100, 150, 200 and 500 |
| Engines | IH V8s of 266, 304, 345 and 392 cu in; AMC 232 and later 258 sixes; AMC 401 in 1973–74 |
| Wheelbases | 115, 119, 131, 132, 149, 156 and 164 in |
| Bodies | pickup, Travelall wagon, panel van, Travelette crew cab |
| Transmissions | three-speed column shift as standard; four- and five-speed manuals, three-speed automatics |
| Notable option | Bendix rear-wheel anti-lock brakes, from late 1971 |
| Built | about 6,000 in 1975 alone; production ended 5 May 1975 |
Written from the English Wikipedia article on the Light Line, a single source.
History of the International Light Line pickup
The Light Line replaced the C series in early 1969, for a shortened model year. The name was a simple continuation of the A-, B- and C-series trucks, and the new pickups were largely a rebodied version of their predecessors, with a square-rigged look very similar to the contemporary Scout. The Travelall wagon changed in parallel. What set the range apart was choice: more transmission and wheelbase options than any competitor, and in general a line-up built to be adapted to whatever the buyer needed, including a bare chassis for special bodies.
At launch the trucks were sold as the 1000 to 1500 D-series and came with four International Harvester V8s of 266, 304, 345 or 392 cubic inches; AMC’s 232 six had been available since the 1968 C series. Wheelbases ran from 115 to 164 inches, with the 119-inch version reserved for the Travelall chassis. Besides the regular cab pickup there were the Travelall wagon, a four-door panel van version of the wagon and a four-door pickup called the Travelette, offered only on the 149 and 164-inch wheelbases. The standard gearbox was a three-speed manual with a column shift, but four- and five-speed manuals and three-speed automatics were listed, and some models could be ordered as a cab on a bare frame for stake-bed bodies.
For 1971 the Light Line received a light restyle with a plastic grille and a new naming system: the D was dropped and a 10 added, so the trucks became the 1010 to 1510. AMC’s 258 six joined later in 1971 and the 232 was dropped for 1972, as was the 266 V8. From that year a metal grille with five horizontal bars replaced the plastic one. Because International’s own engines were in short supply thanks to the success of the Loadstar, some 1973 and 1974 pickups were fitted with AMC’s 401 V8, listed as the V-400. The crew-cab Travelette was by then available only on the 1210.
The most unusual option arrived in late 1971: a Bendix anti-lock braking system that International called Adaptive Braking System. It worked on the rear wheels only, was a first for the segment, and was rarely ordered because of its cost. For 1974 the trucks were renamed 100, 150, 200 and 500, with a new five-bar metal grille nicknamed the “electric razor grille”, a revised double-wishbone independent front suspension and disc brakes on two-wheel-drive chassis. The range was then cut back year by year. Production of pickups and Travelalls ended on 5 May 1975, with only about 6,000 built that year; the last truck was an all-wheel-drive IH 200HD cab and chassis built at Springfield. International’s share of the light truck market had never exceeded 9.5 per cent and had fallen to 4.1 per cent by 1969, and the company chose to concentrate on the Scout and on heavier machinery instead.
Design and features
- Wide choice: seven wheelbases and a long list of gearboxes and bodies.
- Scout-like styling: a square-rigged body shared in spirit with the utility vehicle.
- Travelette: a four-door crew cab on the longest wheelbases.
- Early anti-lock brakes: the Bendix Adaptive Braking System on the rear wheels from 1971.
- Adaptable chassis: bare frames and cab-and-chassis versions for special bodies.
International Light Line pickup versions
- 1000D to 1500D (1969–1970): the original D-series names.
- 1010 to 1510 (1971–1973): restyled with a plastic grille.
- 100, 150, 200 and 500 (1974–1975): renamed range with the metal grille.
- Travelall and panel van: wagon and van bodies on the same chassis.
- Travelette: four-door crew cab pickup.
The Light Line replaced the C series, and its wagon body is described with the Travelall. The medium-duty trucks that outlived it are covered by the Loadstar.
Video: 1973 International Harvester 1210 4WD
Video by MrDan33d on YouTube.
Sources
- International Light Line pickup, English Wikipedia: models, engines, bodies, options, end of production
