Friday Rides - IH/International Harvester

 

Sweet Rides - The Good - The Bad - And The Ugly

 1954 4x4 International Harvester R140

This rare 4×4 1954 IH R140 was specially ordered by the Army Corps of Engineers for the Chief Engineers of the Minuteman Missile System in South Dakota.
Just five of these would be built, all of which were essentially identical and built-to-order. Only three are known to remain today, and this is the only one of the three that has been restored back to as-new condition.
The Minuteman Missile Program required vehicles like the R140 for accessing remote silo sites during the Cold War.
The R140 debuted in 1953 as part of International Harvester’s R-series, offering medium-duty trucks with 4×4 capability for the first time.
This example is powered by a 108 bhp OHV SD-240 inline-six (240 cubic inches / 3.9 liters) – a larger engine that was likely optioned over the 220 cubic inch (3.6 liter) OHV inline-six typically used in the R140.
These trucks were built with a full bus-style body almost entirely made from wood, commonly called a “Woody” as a result.
The truck has a body-on-chassis design, as you would expect, and an all-steel front end.
It has seating for six inside on two rows of black bench seating, and it has a large luggage/cargo section in the rear, likely used for engineering supplies in-period.

https://silodrome.com/international-harvester-r140-4x4/