Pickup trucks from the 1950s-1970s are an enduring symbol of the West in the U.S., but their recent climb in value means that many have been over-restored. At big collector car auctions in America, some classic trucks are selling for more than the equivalent of a brand new one.
So it is becoming increasingly appealing to find an unrestored truck being used regularly – even if somewhat more gently, as this International Harvester B120’s life probably is these days.
Tucked into a leafy side street in South Denver, Colorado, this B-120 no doubt has more than a few stories to tell. It’s either a 1959 or a 1960 and it features optional four-wheel-drive, or what International marketed as “all-wheel-drive.”
With its stacked twin headlamps, the B-Series was the last of the curvaceous International trucks. The brand’s offerings became less bubbly and more “modern” at the dawn of the 1960s.
Despite the B-Series nomenclature, the truck pictured really fits into the middle of International’s long heritage of pickup trucks. For 1956, International rebranded what had been known as the S-Series with a redesigned model called A-Series, the A representing the brand’s 50th anniversary. A special gold and white model christened Golden Jubilee featured extra chrome and some additional luxuries.
Still, as this B-120 clearly shows, trucks in the 1950s were largely agricultural machines – even if their designs have worn especially well. This truck was once a more aqua-like color, but its blue and white scheme today appears to have been applied not long after the truck was new.
Words and photos by Joseph Keller.
Wow, thanks for posting! What a beaut! Why do people not see the character in an original old truck like this?! All too common are the flat black or canary yellow examples.
yes get a daily driver truck before the prices skyrocket. i would find a piece of used channel iron for a front bumper for this truck.
In my hometown, there was an aggressive IH dealer who kept the countryside well supplied with IH trucks. We went through a lot of trucks (from the L-series to the Bs) on the farm. My dad hated the A & B series because they handled so poorly compared to the previous units, so we ended up with a legacy of GM, Ford and later, Dodge, in the 60s and 70s. But I still have a special place in my heart for ‘Binders.’
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