International Scout Traveler
Reviewed by Unique Cars and Parts
Our Rating: 1
Introduction
The International Scout Traveler filled its role
well, that of a large multi-purpose 4WD. There was
plenty of room in the back, in fact enough for two
to sleep comfortably, and enough to transport a serious
amount of gear for that extended trip off the tarmac.
It stood in stark contrast to the svelte shape of
the Range Rover, making no pretence at being small,
nimble or, for that matter, fuel efficient.
Of course
volumes of sheet metal usually also requires some
serious horse power to-boot. And so it was that the
Traveller was equipped with a 5.6 litre 5600cc V8
engine good for 121kW at 3600rpm and 396 Nm torque
at 2000 rpm.
In fact, the only thing not quite so
large about the traveller was the price tag, well
under a comparable Range Rover (if the two could,
in fact, be compared!).
Despite the International
Scout Traveler’s
large overall size, both internally and externally,
the Traveler had only two doors. Sales people would
point out that it made children secure in the rear,
but when 4 adult passengers were riding in a Traveler
it proved far from being a practical set-up.
In addition,
the front seat belts were lap only, offering no sash
restraint for the upper body – it not being
overlooked, rather the designers deeming it’s
lack of inclusion would assist entry and egress from
the rear.
Most criticism of the day was levelled against
the Travelers vague
steering which, when allied to
the size of the vehicle, made driving the barge like
4x4 tiresome when on the straight and narrow, of
which there are plenty in the Australian outback.
The Traveler also had a very large turning circle,
and combined with the low-geared
steering made inevitable
scrapes and brushes against trees and bushes when
off-road almost inevitable, and unfortunately the
body panels were less than forgiving when they were
to come into contact with the best the Aussie bush
could offer.
But when the bush was sparse, but the
going tough, the Traveler excelled. With low range
engaged it was almost unstoppable, never more so
that on the beach, making them very popular among
fishermen.
Of course, International Harvester had
a long history of building trucks of all sizes, and
so the Scout Traveler was a natural extension of
a well thought out and sorted commercial line. If
you took a moment to understand the origins of the
car you would understand you were buying a small
truck, not a large car, and for many that was perfect.
