World Needs Scouts. How Volkswagen Is Reviving a Historic Brand

Anyone who has at least followed events in the auto industry over the past year probably knows that the Volkswagen Group is reviving Scout. However, the car will not receive the name Volkswagen Scout. Despite this being the name of the legendary SUV model, Scout will become an independent brand, under which they will release an electric pickup truck, an SUV, and several more models.

The original International Harvester Scout was discontinued in 1980, which means that entire generations have grown up unaware of its existence. That's why the Indy Auto Man dealership team from Indianapolis decided to delve into history and show what buyers can expect from the new electric brand.

As the name suggests, the Combine Harvester company supplied the market with agricultural equipment. It was formed in 1902 when the owners of three small firms decided to join forces and founded IHC - International Harvester Company. Their first successful product was the Farmall tractor, produced with several modifications, and their first successful car was the Auto Buggy, which lasted on the assembly line from 1912 to 1917. At the same time, IHC focused on the production of trucks, the first of which was the 1907 Auto Wagon.

Like other automobile companies, IHC served in the First World War. It had a large-scale dealer network, and the US military actively purchased machine gun carts and vans. When the world stopped fighting itself, IHS switched to making school buses. But, in 1939, the entire industrial complex returned to a war footing. Some began producing SUVs like the famous Willys Jeeps, while International Harvester used its factories to produce bulldozers, artillery shells, and truck engines.

The Jeep Wrangler is the oldest military SUV, but the Wrangler name didn't come into existence until the 1980s. Before this, it was known as the CJ, which meant "Civilian Jeep". In general, manufacturers could make good money in the SUV and pickup truck market back then, but International Harvester did not notice this, focusing entirely on trucks. Perhaps this made sense because the American economy was in good shape, and the average person had little interest in pickup trucks and four-wheel drive vehicles - they were tools, workhorses, and nothing more (which is strange, given today's trends). The only SUV that was on high demand among Americans was the Jeep CJ.

But International Harvester still built an SUV and a pickup truck somewhat reminiscent of what Jeep was doing. The Scout II had a removable hard top (although a soft top was also available) and throughout its life cycle, which spanned 1961-1980, the company added all sorts of amenities (such as a glove compartment) and various engine modifications. The business didn't seem to be going badly, but ultimately, two things killed IHC. Firstly, its management has expanded the range of models too much, with no technological innovations to improve the SUV. And secondly, in 1979, the company hired a new CEO to streamline the business, and Archie McCardell did an excellent job. Although not without complications. He closed several production facilities at once, which led to a significant reduction in jobs. However, even though people lost their jobs, the company paid McCardell a million-dollar bonus, further angering union members. This led to strikes that cost IHC more than a billion dollars in today's money. Many assets were sold off, and the rest were invested in a holding company called Navistar. In 2021, it was taken over entirely by Traton, the Volkswagen Group's commercial vehicles division. Thus, VW received the Scout brand.

The first rumors about the revival of Scout appeared in September 2021. The reports were sketchy, but VW had everything needed to create a decent SUV. To logically continue the historical line, it was necessary to release a pickup truck and an SUV, which was ultimately written down in the plans. The main question concerned their name: International Scout VW, New International Scout, or VW Scout EV? Eventually, in May 2022, the VW Group announced that Scout would become a brand in its own right. A month after this, Scout Motors named the person in charge of the new brand. A former president of Volkswagen Group of America and CEO of Volkswagen's North American region, Keefe knew what customers wanted.

After Scout Motors was registered and a general director was assigned, the question about the assembly location arose. Initially, they planned to attract Magna Steyr for these purposes. But Scott Keefe decided to move production to America, and now VW is investing two billion dollars in a plant in South Carolina. Since Scout electric vehicles will be battery-powered and manufactured in the United States, they will be able to receive maximum tax benefits from the government.

As for the cars, little is known about them unless, of course, a few vague teasers. They will receive a new platform, not one of VW's existing EVs. An option could be the next-generation scalable SSP platform, which will be ready in 2026, which coincides with the completion of the plant and the planned start of production. At the same time, Keefe said that the prototypes can be seen on the roads this year, and the first model will be officially presented in 2025. The experts assume it will be a pickup truck because that segment is highly popular. It should have good ground clearance, range, and off-road capabilities. Electric vehicles are ideal for off-roading, and the Scout may be the first to prove this in practice.