This is one of the most famous unknown vans in the world – In the Wild

It could very well be that when you see this International Metro-Mite you think: I have seen that many times before! That could well be the case, but there is also a good chance that it was a slightly different creation. The Metro-Mite is one of the most generic van designs there has ever been. Give a four-year-old a pen and ask him to draw a van and there’s a good chance one something like this will come out. That actually makes the Metro-Mite very charming, especially in this nice and classic color scheme.

Practical ease of use was clearly at the top of the wish list when International Harvester (better known for the Scout) designed the Metro-Mite. This is also evident from the entrance, because you walk straight in. It’s a so-called multi stop truck or walk in van, ideal for quickly delivering something and driving straight away. Over the years, many different such vans have appeared in the US, often modeled after this Metro-Mite. A great success, you might say, but in the end it was still somewhat disappointing. The Metro-Mite’s big Achilles heel was its engine; a somewhat underpowered 1.5 four-cylinder diesel for a sometimes quite fully loaded van. This power source was also used in the first Ford Transits and came from the British Austin. So a Metro with an Austin block, but otherwise virtually nothing comparable to the Austin Metro.

This Metro-Mite, spotted by AutoWeek forum member Afentoe, is from the first year of manufacture, 1962. It only came this way about four years ago and received its dark blue classic plates. The original California license plate is also still on it. In addition to its color scheme, it also looks nice and classic thanks to the whitewalltires and it looks like the van is (or was) used by a bakery, perhaps more as an advertising object than really as a delivery vehicle. In the US it was mainly a popular choice for delivering mail or milk. Who knows, you may have seen one in such a role in an American film.