Navistar International Is Rebranding and Refocusing

Chris Teague
by Chris Teague

Volkswagen acquired Navistar International in 2021, splitting off the Scout brand for a new EV brand. Navistar owned International since 1986 and had incorporated the name into its title, but now, the company is rebranding. Navistar International is changing its name to International Trucks, LLC, a move meant to focus on its transition to connected services in the commercial truck space.


The company’s Instagram post announcing the change read, “Allow us to reintroduce ourselves: We’re International. Today marks the start of a new chapter as we say goodbye to Navistar and go back to our roots. As part of our transformation, the iconic diamond shape – a key part of the International brand since 1986 – is a centerpiece of our new identity. The optimized symbol streamlines and simplifies aspects of the original while never losing the core of what our employees, dealers, customers, and partners love.”


International said it would focus on “a shift in strategy to transform the business into a solutions provider, and the role the International brand can play in a streamlined customer and user experience.”

The company said it would continue building trucks, but noted that it would also target parts, charging, connectivity, and financing as part of the transition.

Volkswagen’s ownership likely influenced this decision, but it’s a timely one. Alternative fuels and electrification are just taking off in the commercial truck space, with locations around the country building the infrastructure and other structures needed to support the vehicles. While a rebrand doesn’t do much help build new trucks, the company’s strategic shift will, and may help it survive another 100-plus years.


[Images: Navistar International]


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Chris Teague
Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

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  • 3-On-The-Tree 3-On-The-Tree 4 days ago
    EBFlex Thanks. We did go through a lot of fuel, at least half a tank a day for 3 vehicles. Our SOP was to always have half a tank minimum just in case something kicked off and we had to roll out or act as a QRF, quick reaction force. We also ran M1151 up armored Humvees. They were pretty reliable as well. We liked them because they were smaller and faster than the MRAPS.
  • 3-On-The-Tree 3-On-The-Tree 4 days ago
    Jeff. Cool, vehicles. My first vehicle in High School was a 1964 Dodge D100 with a slant-6 that my dad and I rebuilt. Had a three on a tree. It’s where I’m got my screen name. Taught myself how to drive a manual on that.
    • Jeff Jeff 4 days ago
      3-On-The-Tree--I was too young to drive the 53 and 58 Dodge trucks but my two older brothers learned to drive on the 58. I learned to drive on the 63 IH which my oldest nephew restored and still owns along with my 99 S-10 but I did ride in both the Dodges. I also drove the 68 IH Loadstar and both Allis-Chalmers tractors along with a farm hand's 64 Chevy Stepside pickup with a straight 6 and 3 on the tree. My parents and grandparents had Chryslers, Dodges, and Plymouths but by the 60s they had gms my parents Chevys and my granddad a 64 Olds 98. My parents had a 64 Impala 9 passenger wagon 327 Quadrajet with factory air and luggage rack and a 62 Chevy II 194 straight 6 which I drove thru high school and first few years of college (both Chevys had Powerglide). My mother latter bought a 72 Cadillac Sedan Deville and her last car was an 84 Chrysler 5th Avenue. Up until recent years I owned mostly Chevys (73 Chevelle Deluxe 350 and a 77 Monte Carlo 305 with rally wheels and swivel bucket seats) and 2 Buicks. In recent years I have owned a 2012 Buick Lacrosse, 2008 Isuzu I-370 crew cab 4x4 (same as Colorado/Canyon), and 99 S10 all excellent and requiring minimum repairs. I have owned 6 pickups over the past 40 years including that 63 IH.
  • KOKing I owned a Paul Bracq-penned BMW E24 some time ago, and I recently started considering getting Sacco's contemporary, the W124 coupe.
  • Bob The answer is partially that stupid manufacturers stopped producing desirable PHEVs.I bought my older kid a beautiful 2011 Volt, #584 off the assembly line and #000007 for HOV exemption in MD. We love the car. It was clearly an old guy's car, and his kids took away his license.It's a perfect car for a high school kid, really. 35 miles battery range gets her to high school, job, practice, and all her friend's houses with a trickle charge from the 120V outlet. In one year (~7k miles), I have put about 10 gallons of gas in her car, and most of that was for the required VA emissions check minimum engine runtime.But -- most importantly -- that gas tank will let her make the 300-mile trip to college in one shot so that when she is allowed to bring her car on campus, she will actually get there!I'm so impressed with the drivetrain that I have active price alerts for the Cadillac CT6 2.0e PHEV on about 12 different marketplaces to replace my BMW. Would I actually trade in my 3GT for a CT6? Well, it depends on what broke in German that week....
  • ToolGuy Different vehicle of mine: A truck. 'Example' driving pattern: 3/3/4 miles. 9/12/12/9 miles. 1/1/3/3 miles. 5/5 miles. Call that a 'typical' week. Would I ever replace the ICE powertrain in that truck? No, not now. Would I ever convert that truck to EV? Yes, very possibly. Would I ever convert it to a hybrid or PHEV? No, that would be goofy and pointless. 🙂
  • ChristianWimmer Took my ‘89 500SL R129 out for a spin in his honor (not a recent photo).Other great Mercedes’ designers were Friedrich Geiger, who styled the 1930s 500K/540K Roadsters and my favorite S-Class - the W116 - among others. Paul Bracq is also a legend.RIP, Bruno.
  • ToolGuy Currently my drives tend to be either extra short or fairly long. (We'll pick that vehicle over there and figure in the last month, 5 miles round trip 3 times a week, plus 1,000 miles round trip once.) The short trips are torture for the internal combustion powertrain, the long trips are (relative) torture for my wallet. There is no possible way that the math works to justify an 'upgrade' to a more efficient ICE, or an EV, or a hybrid, or a PHEV. Plus my long trips tend to include (very) out of the way places. One day the math will work and the range will work and the infrastructure will work (if the range works) and it will work in favor of a straight EV (purchased used). At that point the short trips won't be torture for the EV components and the long trips shouldn't hurt my wallet. What we will have at that point is the steady drip-drip-drip of long-term battery degradation. (I always pictured myself buying generic modular replacement cells at Harbor Freight or its future equivalent, but who knows if that will be possible). The other option that would almost possibly work math-wise would be to lease a new EV at some future point (but the payment would need to be really right). TL;DR: ICE now, EV later, Hybrid maybe, PHEV probably never.
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