Model History

International Harvester (IH) roots began with making farm equipment in the early 1900’s. They got their start in automobile manufacturing with building trucks in the early 1930s. In the 1940’s amid WWII and beyond, they introduced the K/KB series truck, of which a number from 1-14 would follow denoting the size/payload. The first K truck was a mid-year 1940 model and the KB series was released to the public in 1947 after the war had ended. The KB series ran from ’47 – ’49 and in 1950 the design was changed dramatically relative to its predecessor. Nearly all of those early trucks were actual trucks…making this feature auction safari wagon so very special.

Car History

Second Daily is proud to present this very rare 1949 IH KB1 Woody safari wagon. Acquired by the seller 2 years ago, prior to that it was with the original family for over 50 years. Information is scarce on production volume of these wagons, it has been stated that less than 500 were ever built and this is likely 1 of less than a dozen actual surviving examples. Anywhere. Power comes from a “Green Diamond” 214ci inline-6 mated to a 3-speed manual gearbox with column shifter. This two-owner wagon ships from Texas with a clean clear title in the seller’s name.

Financial and shipping assistance is available. We also offer our Buying Assistance program to help facilitate the transaction between buyer and seller.

Exterior

Outside the woody wagon shows very well even for its age. The fenders and bonnet are painted metal, the rear and sides are wood and the top is canvas. There is a small dent in the back passenger fender and some light rust reported on the undercarriage. There was a small area of dry rot on back driver side area that has since been removed and replaced with the original wood type. The tailgate was also rebuilt with correct wood. The seller reports the canvas top is in excellent condition and the car was kept out of the weather by the current and former owner.

Interior

Inside you are greeted with what is perhaps the world’s first 3rd row seating…leather grain vinyl seating for 8 is perfect for those family outings to the beach (surfboard not included but recommended). An all new electrical wiring harness was added and upgraded to a 12 Volt system with alternator to charge the battery. Hidden under the seat are Bose speakers with a hidden Bluetooth receiver. Shoulder seat belts were added for improved safety, as were turn signals. A new heater was hidden within the old heater box.

Maintenance

The seller has records for the two years of his ownership. During that time, he has had the rims rebored, carburetor rebuilt, the brakes relined, the headlight wiring adjusted, and a new custom fabricated gas tank with new fuel lines were recently added (all in addition to the items listed above).

Final Thoughts

The market on these is simply an N of 1. No prior sale records could be found given the utter rarity of this wagon. The seller has taken great care to bring this wagon up to safer standards while retaining the original charm that makes it so special. This isn’t a 1 of a million 40’s Fords on the classic road … these trucks simply never come up for sale, especially ones with only 2 owners. Mecem sold a 1941 restored IH Woody in 2014 for a reported $100,000. Today we present a rare opportunity for much less than that, as a very reasonable reserve set.

Bidding at Second Daily

Second Daily is an online curated auction house for specialty vehicles like you see here. Auctions run 24/7 and are 100% online. A reserve price has been set, so you must meet the reserve price with your bid in order to win the auction. If your bid is below the reserve, you may continue to bid until you hit the reserve price. The estimated value of the vehicle will give you an estimated indication of where the reserve price sits.

Disclaimer: We do our best to represent the vehicle from the information provided but this should not be implied as an inspection. Second Daily is not the owner of the vehicle and therefore we recommend as with any online vehicle purchase, as a potential buyer you should either arrange to visit it in person for a personal inspection, or hire a professional service to conduct a pre-purchase inspection. The full VIN number is available upon request, as potential buyers, you can perform your due diligence to determine if this vehicle meets your standards. Second Daily is not liable for the condition or contents of the vehicle. Please see our Terms and Conditions for more information.