JANUARY 2007 OLD TIME TRUCKS
1941 INTERNATIONAL MODEL DS300
By Photographer & Old Truck Nut John Sponholtz

International Harvester Company (IHC) was incorporated in 1902 but the history of the company goes back to 1840 when Cyrus H. McCormick began building grain reapers for farmers. The company focused on mechanizing agriculture. As part of this focus, the company began building motor vehicles aimed at meeting the needs of farmers. In 1907 they introduced their first truck. Through the years the company built many vehicles, including buses and station wagons, but their main focus was trucks. In 1937 the company introduced the D-series. This line of trucks offered a new diesel engine, a new cabover design with a V-windshield and pontoon fenders. The D-series was so popular that truck production topped 100,000 for the first time. This DS300 model was purchased new in 1941 by Soldier Brothers Trucking of Toledo, Ohio. It was purchased as part of a small fleet of five trucks. The other four trucks were used, but this one was parked in the garage and not used. The tires were used on the other trucks because tires were hard to get during World War II. As time went on, other parts of this truck were removed and used on other trucks. After the war, Soldier Brothers Trucking bought new trucks. This truck remained parked in the garage for over fifty years. Purchased by a new owner in 1991, the truck was fully restored and brought back to its original condition. Today the truck is a show truck. Believe it or not, this rig has a total of only seventeen original miles on it. For more weird and wonderful old trucks, visit www.oldtimetrucks.org today.