International Metro, Metro Van, Metro Mite, Metro-Lite, Metro Walk-in Cab | |
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Overview | |
Manufacturer | International Harvester |
Also called | Metro |
Production | 1938-1975 |
Assembly | United States |
Designer | Raymond Loewy |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Light-duty Van or Coach (bus), Class 1-3 Medium-duty van or truck, Class 4-6 |
Body style | Van MPV or COE truck |
Layout | R.W.D. C.O.E. |
Related | D-series truck |
Chronology | |
Successor | MetroStar, eStar |
The International Metro Van was a multi-stop truck manufactured by International Harvester. This vehicle was one of the earlier, mass-produced forward control vehicles, once commonly used for milk or bakery delivery, as well as ambulance services, mobile offices, and radio transmitter vans. [1] Typically, they were 1/2-, 3/4-, or 1-ton panel trucks that allowed the driver to stand or sit while driving the vehicle.
Variations included a passenger bus called a Metro Coach, a Metro partial cab-chassis with front-end sections (for end-user customization), and a cab-over truck called a "walk-in cab". The truck (also called a chassis cab) variation could be configured with a separate box or container for cargo transport or left open to be fitted with other equipment such as a compactor for a garbage truck or a stake bed. [2]
The International Harvester Metro Van was produced in the United States from 1938 until 1975 and sold internationally. The drive train was originally based on the 1937-40 D-Series trucks. One of the first models built was sold to the Czechoslovakian Army and destroyed by the German army during World War II.
Unlike their trucks and other vehicles, the Metro bodies were built by the Metropolitan Body Company on Grand Street in Bridgeport, Connecticut, a company that International Harvester would later purchase in 1948. [3] Final assembly was then done in one of the IH manufacturing plants. The original design was by Raymond Loewy of Studebaker and Coke bottle fame. The Metro design was one of several with which Loewy was involved or created during his association with International Harvester.
The overall design of the Metro vans remained somewhat unchanged from 1938 until 1964 when it was redesigned by the in-house design team in the Chicago Metro plant to be competitive with the Boyertown and Hackney vans. The corners were squared and an opening hood was added for easier access to coolant and oil dipstick. An eight-cylinder engine was also made available. [4]
In the 1950s, International Harvester began producing variations such as the "Metro-Lite," and "Metro-Multi-Stop" vans. In 1959, the "Metro Mite" was introduced.[ citation needed ] It was based on the Scout drive train. In 1960 the "Bookmobile" was built by the Metropolitan Body Company on an IHC chassis. [5] By 1972, all IHC Metro Vans were stripped-chassis that other manufacturers could build on. After 1975 they were discontinued along with all other light-duty trucks except for the Scout, which was last made in 1980.
The Metro Van was re-issued by Navistar in 2000, as a medium-sized delivery truck. Other than by model name, it is unrelated to the original Metro line.
In 2005, Navistar purchased the Workhorse Group, a manufacturer of step-van and motor home chassis, to seemingly re-enter the delivery van market. For a short time Workhorse offered an integrated chassis-body product, similar in nature to the original International Harvester van, called the MetroStar. [6] In September 2012, Navistar announced the discontinuation of Workhorse and the closure of the plant in Union City, Indiana. [7]
With the introduction of the Metro Van body in 1937, a new manufacturing facility opened at 151 Kossuth Street in Bridgeport, Connecticut. All Metro Van bodies through its closing in the early 1970s were built in the Kossuth Street facility. Metro Van bodies were sold for all major truck builder platforms until 1947, when it started producing exclusively for International Harvester as it switched back to commercial production from building gun turrets and bomb blast shields for the war effort. MBC became a wholly owned subsidiary of International Harvester in January, 1948.
During the late 1930s MBC were pioneers in the development of cab over engine (COE) route delivery bodies. MBC had an extensive patent protected line of utility cabs, beds, and bodies with unique functional aspects that likely contributed to International Harvester Company's position as an innovator and market leader in the commercial truck industry in the latter half of the 20th century. [5]
D-M (D Series Metro) | |
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Overview | |
Manufacturer | Metropolitan Body Co. & International Harvester |
Model years | 1938-1940 |
Designer | Raymond Loewy |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Van |
Body style | MPV |
Layout | RWD COE |
Powertrain | |
Engine | I6 |
Transmission | Manual |
Chronology | |
Successor | K Series |
The initial model of the Metro series was the version that adhered closest to the original Loewy design. Known as the "D" or "D-M" series these vans had several unique features that were later dropped for as yet unknown reasons. Some of these features included teardrop shaped headlights (similar to those found on 1937 & '38 Ford coupes and sedans), rear fender skirts (coverings) with deco styled "Metro" badges, "triple diamond" IHC grill emblem, and a more streamlined front end configuration lacking the more angular design of later Metros. This original road vehicle design is sometimes referred as the "giant scarab" which is consistent with the Egyptian influences of the Art Deco movement. A review of Loewy's other designs for items such as streamlined locomotives shows his interest in wind-cheating "swept back" contours. [4]
The powertrain of the Metro vans was typically based on an equivalent series International light- or medium-duty truck. For example, an LM-120 1/2 ton Metro van (5,400 lb weight capacity or GVWR) with a 7 3/4 or 9 1/2 foot body effectively had the IH engine (SD-220), transmission, rearend, wheels (although with varying bolt patterns), and braking system of an L-120 pickup truck. [LM120/150 1] With the introduction of each new series of truck, updated Metro vans were included as part of their commercial line.
Metro model designations can be difficult to decode considering that the differently configured vehicles could have the same model number. For example, in reference to the LM-120 mentioned previously it was available in several different wheelbase and body lengths yet its GVWR (5,400 lbs) remained the same. Each series has unique models and configurations that may have common features or functions across the series.
Model numbers were typically coded into the VIN number along with the chassis serial number (a.k.a. "build number", its position in the production sequence) and any other special identifying code(s).
The suffix number (i.e. "120" of "LM-120") would typically refer to the weight class (GVWR) of the vehicle. As the suffix number increased, so did the designated carrying capacity. In some instances, this number was also used to designate the weight capacity along of a certain model vehicle with particular features or functions. [2]
KM/KBM (K Series Metro) | |
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Overview | |
Manufacturer | Metropolitan Body Co. & International Harvester |
Model years | 1941-1942, WW2 shutdown, 1946-1949 |
Designer | Raymond Loewy |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Van |
Body style | MPV |
Layout | RWD COE |
Related | IH K/KB-series |
Powertrain | |
Engine | I6 |
Transmission | Manual |
Chronology | |
Successor | LM Series |
LM (L Series Metro) | |
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Overview | |
Also called | LM-120, LM-121, LM-122, LM-150, LM-151, LM-152 |
Model years | 1950-1952 |
Designer | Raymond Loewy |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Van |
Body style | MPV |
Layout | RWD COE |
Related | IH L-series |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 6 cylinder Inline |
Transmission | Manual |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | KM/KBM series |
Successor | RM series |
RM (R Series Metro) | |
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Overview | |
Model years | 1953-1955 |
Designer | Raymond Loewy |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Van |
Body style | MPV |
Layout | RWD COE |
Related | IH R-series |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 6 cylinder Inline |
Transmission | Manual |
SM (S Series Metro) | |
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Overview | |
Model years | 1956-1958 |
Designer | Raymond Loewy |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Van |
Body style | MPV |
Layout | RWD COE |
Related | IH S-series |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 6 cylinder Inline |
Transmission | Manual |
AM (A Series Metro), Metro • Walk-In Cab | |
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Overview | |
Also called | AM-80, AM-120, AM-130, AM-150, AMC-150, AM-160, AMC-160 |
Model years | 1959-1961 |
Body and chassis | |
Related | International A series |
BM/CM-Series | |
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Overview | |
Model years | 1962-1972 |
Body and chassis | |
Body style | Box, new design |
The Ford E-Series is a range of full-size vans manufactured and marketed by the Ford Motor Company. Introduced for 1961 as the replacement of the Ford F-Series panel van, four generations of the model line have been produced. Marketed for both cargo and passenger transport configurations, the E-Series has been designed with multiple design variations for both retail and commercial sale, including vans, and commercial-grade cutaway van chassis and stripped chassis.
The Chevrolet Express is a series of full-size vans produced by General Motors since 1996. The successor to the Chevrolet G-series van, the Express is produced in passenger and cargo variants. Alongside the standard van body, the line is offered as a cutaway van chassis; the latter vehicle is a chassis cab variant developed for commercial-grade applications, including ambulances, buses, motorhomes, and small trucks.
The Ford Excursion is a heavy-duty SUV marketed by Ford Motor Company from 2000 through 2005. At its introduction, the Excursion was the longest and heaviest SUV ever to enter mass production. The third Ford SUV was derived from the F-Series pickup trucks, and the model line used a heavier-duty chassis and frame than the Expedition; both vehicles competed against the Chevrolet Suburban.
The International Harvester Company was an American manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment, automobiles, commercial trucks, lawn and garden products, household equipment, and more. It was formed from the 1902 merger of McCormick Harvesting Machine Company and Deering Harvester Company and three smaller manufacturers: Milwaukee; Plano; and Warder, Bushnell, and Glessner. Its brands included McCormick, Deering, and later McCormick-Deering, as well as International. Along with the Farmall and Cub Cadet tractors, International was also known for the Scout and Travelall vehicle nameplates. In the 1980s all divisions were sold off except for International Trucks, which changed its parent company name to Navistar International.
International Motors, LLC is an American holding company created in 1986. The successor to the International Harvester manufacturing company, International produces trucks and diesel engines under its own brand; the company produces buses under the IC Bus name. Since July 2021, the company has operated as an independent subsidiary of Traton, which is the heavy-vehicle operations arm of the Volkswagen Group.
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The International L series was introduced by International Harvester in fall 1949 as the replacement for the KB series and were available as everything from light pickup trucks and delivery vehicles to full-size tractor-trailers. Electric wipers, a radio, and a clock were optional. International would continue to produce the line until 1953 when it was replaced by the R series.
The International DuraStar line, known as the 4000 series prior to 2008, is a line of medium-duty trucks produced by Navistar International from 2001 until 2018. Introduced as the successor to the International 4000 series of 1989–2001, the 4000 series was renamed the DuraStar in 2008. Developed as a Class 6-7 product range, the 4000/DuraStar was slotted below the 8000/TranStar regional-haul semitractor, with the Class 5 International TerraStar (2010–2015) serving as the smallest International conventional-cab product range.
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The bus chassis variant of the International S series is a cowled bus chassis that was produced by International Harvester from 1979 to 2004. Produced primarily for school bus applications, the chassis was also produced for other applications, including commercial-use buses and cutaway-cab buses. In addition, the cowled chassis formed the basis for front-engine and rear-engine stripped chassis produced for bus applications.
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The International C series and its succeeding models is a series of pickup trucks that were built by International Harvester from 1961 to 1968. They succeeded the earlier B-series range.
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Media related to International Metro Van at Wikimedia Commons