While this particular International Harvester Metro van is cool and in very good shape as it’s been recently restored, I’m using this find as an excuse to educate you on the overall coolness of the Metro which is one of the most enduring vehicles of the 20th century. Don’t believe us? These things were produced from 1938-1975 and while there were adjustments along the way, the same basic design that Raymond Loewy design soldiered on for decades. Originally intended to somewhat mimic the looks of the streamlined locomotives of the late 1930s and early 1940s it became an iconic shape and the trucks themselves were everywhere delivering bread, newspapers, and whatever else could be loaded in the back.
Built like anvils and powered by dead nuts reliable IH engines, they often lead long working lives before being put out to pasture. There are lots of Metros rusting comfortable in the junkyards of American and this could have been one of them had it not been found and turned into a coffee truck. The people selling it were the ones who had the truck converted so apparently the Java-mobile wasn’t paying the bills. Anyway, they had poured a bunch of money into the thing to get it road worthy and ready to be driven every day. The kitchen conversation on the thing is bad ass. 100% pro-level work and everything fits like a glove.
So how did these things get named “Metro”? That’s an easy one. The company that made the bodies for International Harvester was the Metropolitan Body Company which was operating out of it Bridgeport, Connecticut offices and making lots of different stuff. They worked for Ford, Dodge, and others during the 1930s and then in 1948 it merged with International Harvester and since the company had a ton of patents and design knowledge on early cab over engine delivery trucks it was a boon for IH to have them as part of the team.
The engine in this thing is likely an International Silver Six which was the 220ci variation of the engine that produced about 100hp. Plenty to get the thing down the road although hurrying was an impossibility.
Scroll down to see more of this Metro and then hit the eBay link to see it all!
Hic! S’that a mobile bar?
Giz a bottle of broon are ye caaallin’ us a puff like?
Ooootside noo ye bastard aa’ll kick yer heed in like…..
Sorry about the Geordie slang – this bears a striking similarity to BMC vans of the 50s and early1960s in the UK and just needs a good turbo diesel transplant and modern running gear.
Howay man – where’s me broon ale? Ah ye a Makem like – aaaaah’ll kick yer heed in – eeeeeewwwwhhhh huuuuuuuughhhhh
Sorry mate ah just hoyed up aal avver ye…