Well, let me tell ya ’bout this here 1958 International pickup truck. It ain’t like them fancy cars they got now, no sir. This here’s a real workhorse, built tough, like they used to make ’em.
Back in the day, see, folks needed somethin’ reliable. Somethin’ that could haul hay, take ya to town, and maybe even court a gal, if you cleaned it up nice. And this here International, well, it did all that and more. They called it the A-series, but names never mattered much to me. It was just the truck, plain and simple.
Now, I ain’t no mechanic, but I know a thing or two about what makes a truck good. This ’58 International, it had a strong engine. Heard tell it was a six-cylinder, some folks call them an inline-six, and that it was powerful enough to pull a plow if you needed it to. And the body, well, it was made of steel, thick and sturdy. Not like that flimsy stuff they use now, all plastic and whatnot.
- They had different kinds, ya know?
- Some were half-tons, some were bigger, like the A-110 or A-120, they called them 3/4 ton.
- The bigger ones could carry more, of course. More feed for the animals, more wood for the fire, more everything.
I remember seein’ ’em all over the place, farms mostly. Red ones, blue ones, green ones, didn’t matter the color, they all looked tough as nails. The front, it had this big ol’ grille, looked kinda like a smile, but a tough smile, ya know? And the headlights, they were round and stuck out, like big ol’ eyes lookin’ at ya.
These trucks weren’t just for work, though. On Saturdays, you’d see folks drivin’ ’em into town. Families piled in the cab, kids in the back, all happy and whatnot. It was a simpler time, I guess. Folks weren’t in such a hurry, and a truck like this here International, it was just part of life.
If you wanted to buy one of these now, I reckon you’d have to find someone who collects old trucks. They call ’em classic cars these days, and some folks pay a whole heap of money for ’em. They look all shiny and new, but I bet they don’t work as hard as they used to. Too much polish, not enough dirt, if ya ask me.
Hagerty, whatever that is, some company I guess, they tell you what it’s worth. I ain’t got no idea how they figure that out, but they say some of these trucks are worth a pretty penny. Depends on the shape it’s in, of course. If it’s all rusted out and ain’t run in years, well, it ain’t worth much. But if it’s been taken care of, if it still runs and drives like it should, well, then you might have somethin’ special. I would look at A-112 models, they look good in pictures.
I remember my neighbor, old man Johnson, he had one of these trucks. Used it every day for I don’t know how many years. Hauled everything in it, from pigs to potatoes. That truck, it was part of the family, just like one of his kids. He kept it running good, always tinkering with it, makin’ sure it was ready to go. He would say something like “you treat it right, it’ll treat you right” I think that’s why it lasted so long. Heck, that old truck might even be running to this day, who knows.
The inside wasn’t nothin’ fancy, mind you. Just a bench seat, a steering wheel, and some gauges to tell you how fast you were goin’ and how much gas you had left. No radios, no air conditioning, just the basics. But that’s all you needed, really. It was a truck, not a palace. It was built for utility and to be rugged, like they said in the ads, I think.
These days, everything’s so complicated. Computers in cars, fancy gadgets, you name it. But back then, things were simpler. And this 1958 International pickup truck, well, it was a symbol of that simplicity. A good, honest truck that did what it was supposed to do, and didn’t ask for much in return. That’s how they did things in America, with ingenuity. They really knew what they were doing.
It’s a piece of history, that’s what it is. A reminder of a time when things were built to last, and when a man’s truck was just as important as his word. And that, my friends, is somethin’ worth rememberin’. So, next time you see an old truck like this, take a minute to appreciate it. It’s more than just a machine, it’s a piece of the past, and it’s got a story to tell, if you just listen.
