We cover lots of International Harvester vehicles, Scouts and Travelalls in particular, but pickups, what were known as the “Light Line” pickups are much less frequently encountered or reviewed. With all of the interest and attention that late ’60s/early ’70s Chevy, GMC, and Ford trucks garner, it makes one wonder if Internationals could become a benefactor of such enthusiasm? You know, owning the other one! Let’s examine this 1971 International 1210 and see what makes it tick. It’s located in Chatsworth, California and is available, here on craigslist for $7,500.

International was no stranger to light trucks, they were in that business in the earliest part of the 20th century. Our focus today is a bit more narrow, specifically zeroing in on the 1969-1975 aforementioned “Light Line” assortment of trucks. These were the D series trucks followed by a numeric designation that referenced the carrying capacity. The “D” was dropped for model-year ’71 leaving just the numeric notation which in this case means a 3/4 ton carrying capacity. International exited the pickup truck biz, for good, in ’75.

This example appears to have either spent a lot of time in the California sun or has had a five-alarmer going on under its hood – no worries, another hood is included in the sale. Yeah, it’s a little banged up but in a good way, it has a sorta Mad Max vibe going on – along with a bit of rust. I guess what I am most thankful for here is the absence of the dreaded “P” word to describe this truck’s forlorn appearance. BTW, both sets of tires/wheels pictured are included in the sale.

I’d like to know who has the concession for Mexican blanket seat covers, I’ve seen an awful lot of them lately. And they have a purpose though they’re more appropriate in some vehicles than they are in others. I say Otay! in this case. Beyond that, the interior is pretty utilitarian – about what one would expect. Based on the image with the seat removed, I’ll run with the assumption that this pickup was originally painted taxicab yellow. Wanna step back to the ’70s and go “Breaker 19, Breaker 19!” you can do it with this truck, it’s CB radio equipped.

Pet peeve number one (more to follow in other posts) is a no-engine image unless you consider the top of the air cleaner assembly to be an engine image. And that’s the case here. We’re told it’s a 193 gross HP, “Commanche” 304 CI V8 with what appears to be a four-speed manual gearbox. The seller advises, “Fires right up, runs and stops but I would tow it home to get it dialed in“. There’s no mileage listed so how much real word experience the engine has endured is unknown. The seller does state that he’s redone the brake system and has receipts to prove what actual work was performed.

I like it, especially as it is. As Lynyrd Skynyrd would entitle their third album, it’s “Nuthin’ Fancy” and that’s a nice departure from enormo, manicured $60K pickups of today that have never done a lick of work. What do you think, a future collectible?