1949 International KB-2 Is a Steel-Everything Custom Build That Needs to Be Remembered

1985 is almost four decades ago, and that’s more than enough time to allow for anything to be forgotten. International is no exception, and we presently only get to talk about it in the rare instances one of its long-gone products, in some way relevant to the industry, crosses our path. Things like the Scout, for instance, which remains one of the carmaker’s most cherished models even today.

The most recent reason to remember this important name of the American carmaking past is this incredibly orange-red KB-2. A name that may not ring any bells in the mind of today’s car lovers, but was all the craze back in the 1940s.

The KB-2 is part of something called the K series of trucks International used to make back then. That would be a family of motorized workhorses so diverse it put even the most prolific builders of such machines, the likes of Ford and Chevrolet, to shame: in the few short years it was on the market, the K series was sold, with remarkable success, as no less than 42 variations, rated from the market-favorite half-ton to more specialized 90,000 pounds (41 tons) trucks.

The KB-2 was one of the smaller members of this vast pack, and came to be in 1947. It arrived not as the ever-popular half-ton (that would be the KB-1), but as a 3/4-ton one that was extremely appreciated back in its day, but all but absent in our time, even in customized form.

So imagine our surprise when we stumbled upon one, presently looking for a new owner from the lot of a dealership in Pennsylvania. And not just any KB, but one with enough visual punch to cause a stir at truck gatherings, and enough grit to take on more specialized machines on the drag strip, if need be.

Still retaining the large, rounded shapes of the 1940s design style (just look at those massive fenders, hugging the wheels in their generous embrace, or the flowing yet pointy shape of the hood), the KB was remade in the usual style of the trucks from that era, to be a sight to remember and a joy to drive.

We don’t have any info on who is responsible for the KB being made relevant again, but we do know some of the things that helped turn it into such an impressive piece of machinery.

First up, we have that amazing exterior. A flood of orange paint generously sprayed over the steel body panels plays catch with a wealth of chrome elements carefully placed on the front end (grille, fenders, headlights surrounds), side (mirrors and wheels), and rear (exhaust pipes). The steel bed at the rear is a bit of a mystery, though, as the photos of the truck don’t show what’s hiding under the gray vinyl snap-on cover.

Just the right amount of white was included in the visual package, coming as the walls of the tires. The pieces of rubber are wrapped around 15-inch steel wheels with chrome center caps, supported by leaf springs at the rear and independent coil springs up front.

The wheels move under the power of a Chevrolet engine, in this case, a 327ci powerplant of undisclosed provenance, slapped under the hood together with an aluminum intake manifold and an Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor. It’s unclear how much power the engine develops, but it runs a 4-speed automatic transmission that sends it all to a Ford 9-inch rear.

The interior is a tad spartan and somewhat less impressive than we were expecting. A pair of bucket seats draped in tweed broadcloth sit in front of an orange, steel dashboard. It still holds the original gauges, only they’re now backed by aftermarket instruments installed either above or beneath the dashboard. A Sony AM/FM/CD stereo that didn’t exist back when this truck was made sits right in front of the center console that separates the two seats.

As per the listing on Classic Auto Mall, this 1949 International KB-2 shows just 1,500 miles (2,400 km) of use since being brought back to life in this form. As you see it, the pickup is selling for $43,900.

If you’re into more classic pickups from that era, made by Ford or Chevrolet, that may seem a bit much. But if rare, incredible machines from America’s past, that are about to, but shouldn’t be forgotten, are what you’re after, the price might sound just right.