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Identifying the First-Gen Ford MustangFord Bronco vs International Harvester Scout II
Two classic off-roaders, the Ford Bronco and the International Harvester Scout, faced off back in the day, and will again soon.
Boxy Off-Roaders
Long before the Scion xB and Nissan Cube taught us the virtues of right angles, there was the International Harvester Scout and the Ford Bronco, two boxy off-roaders that blurred the line between traditional 4x4s and the SUV onslaught to come. To understand why these two vehicles have proven so pivotal and influential, it’s important to look back to the late 1950s.
Back then, the CJ Jeep, the Land Rover, and the FJ Land Cruiser were about all that was out there for light off-roaders. Since they were all three based on the Willys jeeps of WWII, they were sparce and rugged. That meant they were durable, but their rough rides and lack of amenities kept them from wider adoption.
That is until International Harvester introduced the Scout in 1961.
International Harvester Scout
Even if you’re not familiar with the Scout, you’ve likely seen International Harvester’s emblem. They’ve been making heavy-duty trucks, tractors, and other farm equipment since 1907. They decided to take a stab at the nascent 4×4 market, then just Jeeps and their foreign analogues, with the Scout, which debuted in 1960.
Like the Jeep, the Scout was a small, lifted 4×4 most at home off-road on the trails or on the farm. However, unlike the Jeep, the Scout mixed that toughness with the greater livability of passenger cars. This included features like roll-down windows and an available hardtop. This blending of ruggedness and daily drivability presaged the rise of the SUV as the American go-to vehicle. The Scout was offered in multiple body styles that included a pickup and even a camper version. The Scout 800 arrived for the 1966 model year with updated looks and a new grille design, bucket seats, and an optional V8 (with the Ford Bronco debuting the same year).
The Scout came into its own with the Scout II debut in 1971. The exterior was again updated, with a new grille design and new squared headlight housing. There were new engines on offer as well. These included more V8 options as well as new diesel engines. The Scout II could be ordered with a metal top, as a half cab roadster, or a soft top.
International Harvester added new body styles as well, introducing the Scout II Terra pickup in 1976 and the Scout II Traveler in 1978. The Traveler had an extended body and wheelbase by 18 inches along with a fiberglass top to create a two-door SUV. The Super Scout II, arriving in 1977, was stripped down off-roader featuring a soft top and soft doors and a roll bar. The Super Scout II was a favorite in competitive off-road racing, taking major championships like the Baja 1000 and Mint 400.
Engines for the Scout II ranged from the carry-over 196 cu.-in. inline-four cylinder and a pair of inline six-cylinder engines to two V8s, a 304 cu.-in. and a larger 345 cu.-in. option, as well as a 198 cu.-in. straight-six Nissan diesel, which received turbocharging for the Scout II’s final 1980 model year. International Harvester discontinued the Scout after 1980, having produced 532,764 dating back to 1961.
Ford Bronco
Not one to cede market territory, Ford saw the successes of the Scout and CJ Jeep and felt sure they too could compete in the small but exciting 4×4 segment. Enter the Bronco in 1966. Like the Scout, the Bronco took the off-roadability of the Jeep and softened it with a more modern, livable build.
The Bronco initially came in three body styles the basic two-door wagon, a half cab pickup, or a roadster. Unlike the Scout, which could be optioned in rear-wheel drive, the Bronco, built on its own unique architecture, came in four-wheel drive only. The Bronco was also a shade smaller than the Scout, measuring a 92-inch wheelbase to the Scout’s 100-inch wheelbase.
The first-generation Bronco was initially offered with a choice of two engines: a 170 cu.-in. straight-six making 105 horsepower and a 289 cu.-in. V8 with 200 horsepower. A larger 302 cu.-in. V8 was introduced in 1969, and a 200 cu.-in. straight-six became the default engine in 1973 through 1977.
The Bronco’s brief second generation lasted just two model years, 1978 and ’79. Gone was the modest, Scout-like styling. Instead, the new Bronco grew substantially, adding a foot to the wheelbase, now 104 inches, and almost four inches to the height to 75.5 inches. Ford went with just a single body style, the three-door SUV. Just two V8s were offered, a 351 cu.-in. and a 400 cu.-in. paired to either a four-speed manual or three-speed automatic.
While the Scout was in its final year of production, the Bronco was embarking on its third generation, starting in 1980. The Bronco’s looks were changed again, moving the blue oval emblem to the middle of the eggcrate grille, and reflecting its shared sheet metal with the F-150. A 300 cu.-in. straight-six was offered along with a pair of V8s, a 302 cu.-in. and a 351 cu.-in. (with the base 351M replaced by a Winsor 351 in 1982.
Off-Road Redux
The Bronco continued through two more generations before its cancellation in the mid-1990s. Its resurrection in 2021 has been, supply chain disruptions aside, triumphant. At a time when many carmakers, including Ford itself, are trying to recapitalize old and venerable nameplates, the new Bronco proved to be well worthy of its name. With styling that harkened directly to the first- generation Bronco and all manner of modern off-road tech, the sixth-generation Bronco looks great while also being about as good an off-roader as you can buy.
Ford isn’t the only one looking back to old-school off-roaders for modern inspiration. Volkswagen will be bringing back the Scout name for a new division dedicated to all-electric off-roaders. Volkswagen, you say?! Yep, Volkswagen’s subsidiary Tranton bought Navistar International (formerly International Harvester) in 2020. The first Scout prototypes are set to debut later this year.
The popularity (and rising prices) of vintage first-gen Broncos and Scouts demonstrates their enduring appeal as supreme off-roaders, both functionally and aesthetically. Though it’s clear the Bronco beat out the Scout by persisting long after the latter was cancelled, the contest between the two nameplates seems poised to reignite soon.
