Gov. Tim Walz adopted an orphaned 4WD
Many folks have never heard of an International Harvester truck or SUV. But IH–most famous for its tractors–made road vehicles for decades. My dad had several International Harvester Scout SUVs over the years, most recently using a rusted-out one to plow snow off the long driveway to his farm. IH ended production of its final model (the Scout II) in 1980 and closed its road vehicle division, leaving the ones still running as “orphaned” classics. But that doesn’t stop Minnesota Governor Tim Walz from driving a 1979 Scout II every day.
Is the name Tim Walz familiar? Tim Walz is a National Guard veteran and retired teacher who served as a Minnesota congressman from 2007 until he was elected governor of the state in 2018. In August 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris announced Walz as her running mate in the 2024 U.S. Presidential election.
Classic 4WD fans have long known Tim Walz as one of the more high profile enthusiasts around. That’s because his only car is a 1979 Scout II. The SUV looks to be fully restored and is finished in a beautiful turquoise color with a white top (a common option in the days before air conditioning). Governor Walz has even been spotted with the hood up, tinkering on his classic.
Governor Walz loves his Scout and posts pictures of it on social media. One caption reads: “You got a fast car…I’ve got a 1979 International Harvester Scout” I assume he’s alluding to the Luke Comb’s song “Fast Car.” Is Governor Walz a country music fan too?
To give you an idea how much Governor Walz loves his SUV, he promised his family they would get a dog if he won the governor’s election and moved home to Minnesota full time. He won, picked up a black lab, and named it…Scout. St. Paul residents say it’s common to see Governor Walz and Scout driving the Scout down to the local dog park. It’s part of his routine most days.
While Tim Walz was running for governor, his campaign slogan was One Minnesota. He showed his dedication to the race by swapping his Scout’s plates out for custom ones that read “ONE MN.” The SUV became an icon of his campaign.
It all begs the question, if Governor Tim Walz ends up in the White House, will he bring the Scout? What will Secret Service call it? Scout One? Scout Two? Will he get new plates made up?
As beautiful as this SUV is, not everyone is a fan of Governor Walz’s scout.
The Governor’s critics have pointed out that this classic SUV is only rated at 11.4 mpg. This is especially problematic because preparing Minnesota for climate change, and reducing emissions, were key parts of Tim Walz’s campaign platform. Governor Walz voted for California-style emissions regulations in Minnesota, making it the first state in the midwest to do so. He also sought out federal funding to make it easier for Minnesota farmers to transition to more sustainable technologies.
So is driving the old Scout hypocritical? Perhaps. But I will say that driving the 11.4 mpg classic down to the local dog park probably pollutes less than taking an entire motorcade of new SUVs. Also, building new cars isn’t particularly environmentally friendly. Keeping our old ones on the road is a good thing.
In addition, Governor Walz’s push to make the fleet of brand new commuter vehicles more efficient is in line with the EPA’s goals. But a source inside the Agency has also revealed that it has no plans to go after enthusiasts’ classic vehicles. They represent such a small fraction of the total miles driven annually and the country’s total emissions, that the Agency isn’t worried about them.
But perhaps Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has a fleet of vintage SUVs converted to run off veggie oil, propane, and electricity can give Governor Tim Walz a referral to his mechanic.
