Sure, new SUVs are cool and all, what with their advanced off-roading technology and other high-tech features. But there's just something about the classic cool of a vintage four-wheel-drive rig that no modern truck — no matter how retro-minded its styling or long its legacy may be — can match.
And you'd be hard-pressed to find a cooler example of an old-school sport-utility vehicle than the restored (and slightly upgraded) 1973 International Scout currently up to be won in a raffle on Omaze.
Better yet, as part of a Black Friday promotion, you can score an extra 300 entries for free by using the code UNWRAP300. Be warned, however: today, November 18th, is the last day that you can enter the raffle, so if you're interested, you'd better act fast.
The Scout, in case you're unfamiliar, was whipped up by International Harvester (a company mostly known for agricultural machinery) in the early 1960s as a competitor to early Jeeps — part of the same wave of truck/station wagon hybrids as the original Ford Bronco and the first Chevy Blazer that can pretty honestly claim to be the original flurry of sport-utility vehicles. This '73 has been meticulously restored by the crew at Bulletproof Restorations, a California-based restomod shop that specializes in classic off-roaders.
You won't have to worry about dealing with chokes and carburetors, as this Scout has been upgraded to use a modern GM-sourced 6.0-liter V8 that cranks out 380 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque, connected (of course) to all four wheels through a six-speed automatic. Inside, it's been gorgeously reupholstered in mocha-colored leather.
And since this is an Omaze situation we're dealing with here, the money raised from the sale is going to a great cause. Specifically, it's going to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, one of the nation's leading medical institutions for taking care of kids. (Know who else donates to Vanderbilt? Dolly Parton.) The Scout-generated donations will be going to their Pediatric Cancer Program, in order to support the research needed to help treat, fight and prevent cancer in children.
So, in summation: enter to win this Scout, and you'll be helping to save children's lives — and maybe taking home one of the coolest vintage off-roaders we've ever seen. Talk about a win-win, right?
