From the squared front end to the upswept C-pillar, you can see a lot of classic International Scout styling cues in this concept drawing from Volkswagen. Fingers crossed that the end result remains faithful to its namesake. (Image/Volkswagen)

Who doesn’t love an International Scout?

We’re talking about the simple, utilitarian 4×4 from International Harvester that originally debuted as the compact Scout 80 before gradually evolving into the larger Scout II during the 1970s.

In whatever flavor you choose, the International Scout is a perpetual favorite at car shows across the country.

If you’re a Scout fan, you may enjoy these articles:
* Lot Shots: International Scout II Camper
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International Harvester Scout 800
Much like the Jeep CJ, the IH Scout was first marketed as a versatile, rugged 4×4 for ranch hands, farmers, and utility workers. (Image/OnAllCylinders)

So you can imagine our collective surprise when we heard the Scout was coming back!

And the news gets even more interesting when you hear that it’s coming from Volkswagen.

That’s because VW actually owns the Scout name, thanks to its earlier acquisition of Navistar International, the company that evolved out of the old International Harvester corporation. (Though if we’re being pedantic, Navistar is actually owned Traton, a subsidiary of Volkswagen—same end result though.)

The Scout grew a little bit during the 1960s and in 1971, a larger redesigned version was released, christened the Scout II. (Image/OnAllCylinders)

If that wasn’t enough, VW says that the Scout is coming back as…wait for it…an electric vehicle.

Yup. The new Scout will return as an electric SUV. And it’ll have a pickup truck variant as well. In fact, according to the press release, Volkswagen says the Scout will be its own brand of EVs, separate from VW and the other branches on the Volkswagen family tree.

If you didn’t already know, the Volkswagen Auto Group encompasses a lot of other car marques, including Porsche, Audi, and Lamborghini.

The Scout brand will re-launch with a SUV and pickup truck. (Image/Volkswagen)

These new Scouts will reportedly be designed and built in the United States, specifically for the American market. And VW tells us that we’ll see prototypes in 2023, with production set to begin in 2026. It also appears that, since Scout is intended to be a standalone brand, these new EVs may be sold through a separate dealer network.

Releasing a new, electric Scout is a fascinating move, to say the least, and we’re excited to see what it does to the electric truck market, which is starting to heat up with models like the electric Ford F-150 Lightning already in production.

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