A very interesting read about the rise n fall of IH

[lilranch2001]

International Harvester Company – The Rise and Fall of a Monopoly - Blog - Intelligent Fanatics

I grew up in Ft Wayne and had many family members including myself work there for at least a short period of time.
My oldest sister rose up through the ranks pretty high, but there are still things in this article I did not know

 

[RickB]

Barbara Marsh wrote a wonderful corporate biography about IHC as well. Sadly it is out of print and highly sought after. I read it shortly after it was published and would love to have another go it it.

A Corporate Tragedy: The Agony of... book by Barbara Marsh

 

[shovelmike]

That's an interesting history, thanks for posting.

 

[kenmbz]

Thank you for posting this. First tractor I rode as a kid was a farmall. Seeing these older machines still running on farms always amazes me and seeing them at fairgrounds reminds me of how many were in action across the country. IH is a good example of what happened to the US car industry too.

 

[lilranch2001]

You are welcome, I think old tractors seems to take us back to our childhoods......

An 8N was my first tractor, and I will always have a fondness for them!

 

[Hay Dude]

The last series of large farm tractors IH built were beautiful, ground breaking tractors. Towards the end, the 3XXX and 5XXX tractors actually were the first to have a small on board computer and digital readout for RPM, exhaust EGTs, etc. They had some other really cool features and the venerable DT series Diesel engines. The 都noopy articulating tractors were funny looking, but were nearly impossible to get stuck and are still sought after for muddy operating conditions.
Very sad to see them go. We had the coolest International Harvester dealership in my town. It had a rail siding and watching the train arrive with shiny new IH farm tractors and combines was a real sight to see. Wish I had pictures.

In the end, profits became the focus over all else. That’s when companies go down the drain.

 

[lilranch2001]

The old IH company had a lot going for it, seems to me somewhere in the 70-80's the leadership failed the company and it was more about profit than anything else.

Just think, if IH had not killed the Scout and Binder PU, where they would have been ahead of the curve on the whole 4 wheel drive thing!

 

[ArlyA]

That was indeed interesting. My father owned and used IHC 400 tractor for many years which was one of those gas/diesel ran machines. I operated it was well. I knew people who worked and retired from he Ft Wayne truck plant.

 

[murphy1244]

Thanks Lil ranch great read indeed.

 

[Citydude]

The old IH company had a lot going for it, seems to me somewhere in the 70-80's the leadership failed the company and it was more about profit than anything else.

Just think, if IH had not killed the Scout and Binder PU, where they would have been ahead of the curve on the whole 4 wheel drive thing!

There were 2 scouts for sale on the side of the road last year. I drove by and wrote the phone number down.

The next day they were gone. If you snooze you loose. Bummer...