1934 International C-1

Sold for $30,250 at 2015 RM Sotheby's Hershey Auction.
At the beginning of this new century, one of the most popular cars is the 'all-purpose vehicle,' one that can carry the groceries, the lumber for weekend projects, and take the family on an outing. The International Harvester Company, of Chicago, Illinois, built its first experimental motor buggy in 1899. In 1907, the International Harvester Company introduced an earlier version of the 'one car to do everything' - the Auto-Wagon. With the removal of the rear seat, the Auto-Wagon could perform duties similar to a modern-day truck. Sold through International dealers that traditionally handled farm equipment and built purposely to look as much like a buggy as possible, these 'high-wheelers' had solid rubber tires and large wheels to allow for high clearance on the unpaved country roads.

A light-duty pickup truck did not fit into International's manufacturing scheme, so they approached Willys, of Toledo, Ohio, regarding the rebadging of their C-113 pickup truck as the International D-1. International introduced its first light-duty pickup truck, the D-1, in January 1933. The following year, they introduced the C-Series and expanded their truck lineup to include 33 variations on 15 basic model.

The Model C-1 was the first light-duty pickup that the International Harvester Company built on its own. It has the same wheelbase and six-cylinder engine found on the Willys-built D-1 predecessor.

Production of the C-1 continued until 1936, by which point 80,000 examples had been built. During this era, they were the third-ranked U.S. truck manufacturer and marketed their trucks worldwide.

This particular pickup was given a restoration that was completed in 2012. It has been driven fewer than 100 miles since the work was completed. It is painted maroon with black fenders and rides on Firestone's wide whitewall tires. The engine is a 213 cubic-inch L-head six-cylinder unit offering nearly 80 horsepower. There is a three-speed manual transmission and mechanical brakes at all four corners.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2015