107hp, 240 cu. in. overhead valve six-cylinder engine, four-speed manual transmission, solid front axle and live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 130"

The wood-bodied station wagon simply known as the 'woodie' has become such an icon of leisure culture that its origin as a utility vehicle is often forgotten. Indeed, many such wagons were sold as commercial vehicles and listed in the truck catalogs. Ford, the predominant wagonmaster of the 1930s, did not consider the style a passenger car until 1939. Even when most manufacturers had assimilated wagons into passenger lines, truck-based woodies remained popular, particularly from Dodge and International.

As the name implies, International Harvester Company had agricultural origins. IHC resulted from the merger of Cyrus McCormick's and William Deering's harvester companies in 1902. Branching out into trucks and cars for farmers, IHC marketed high-wheel 'auto buggies' beginning in 1907. A full line of trucks, from three-quarters to 3-1/2 tons, was offered in 1915; by 1927, more than 25,000 were built annually. Pickup production started in 1932 with a Willys-based model. IHC's own C series supplanted it in 1934, an attractively-styled modern design with a v-shaped grille. In addition to pickups, wood-bodied wagons were offered, with bodies by outside suppliers like Baker-Raulang, Hercules, Cantrell and Robert Campbell's Mid-State Body Company at Waterloo in upstate New York. These carried through into the 1950s, with International's new L series, the first with a modern, full-fendered cab. A modest restyling of the nose resulted in the 1953 R series, a year that also brought IHC's first factory-built 4x4s. Early in 1952, IHC had introduced the Travelall, a steel-bodied half-ton, two-door wagon, but for wagon bodies on larger trucks, outside body builders were still employed.

Discovered outside a Montana barn in 2004, this vehicle is one of three International 4x4s bodied by Mid-State Body Company. Originally invoiced to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Riverdale, North Dakota, chassis 785 was outfitted with 17-inch Budd wheels and tires and a front-mounted winch at IHC's Springfield, Ohio, facility before being dispatched to the body builder. The wagon was completed early in 1954, in time to take part in the construction of Minuteman missile sites in the Northern plains states.

When found, the truck was relatively complete and although the majority of the wood was removed, it came with four complete doors, a quarter panel and remnants of the surviving wood. Mechanically, the truck was intact and retained all of its original equipment. The odometer showed just over 41,000 miles, the tires held air and the original black paint had stood up well to 25 years in the elements. Sheet metal was straight and, thanks to dry northern air, nearly rust-free.

Restoration was entrusted to Marc LaRocque and took 18 months to complete. In addition to the few pieces of original wood, it benefited from the survival of another wagon of the R-140 trio, from which patterns were taken. The reconstruction was painstaking and thorough, evidenced by such honors as Best in Class at the August 2008 Carmel Concours in California and Best in Show at the Santa Barbara woodie meet the following weekend.

A most atypical collector vehicle, this 4x4 is far rarer than many Full Classics, and its richly varnished wood body transcends its working class roots. Furthermore, its provenance as a soldier in the Cold War sets it apart from other show vehicles, and its full dress uniform distinguishes it from the typical olive drab veteran military vehicles. The opportunity to acquire a vehicle like this will not soon be repeated.