Summary
- International has a long history of making pickups, starting with the Autowagon in 1908, which popularized pickup trucks in America.
- The International CXT is the biggest mass-produced pickup ever made, weighing 14,500 pounds and having a towing capacity of 20,000 pounds.
- International collaborated with Extreme SuperTruck to create an even bigger pickup, based on the HV507 model, with luxurious features and a price tag of $185,000.
If you're in the market for a massive pickup, you'll probably be looking at one of the heavy-duty variants of the Ford F-Series pickups or the Chevrolet Silverado HD series. But what if you want something even more massive? America has had a long history of pickups that were way larger than anyone probably asked for. If you want to see the granddaddy of them all, you need to look away from the big three American brands.
Instead, you must start digging through International's history to find the biggest mass-produced pickup ever made. They have been a part of history not only in the trucks you see for regular public use on the roads, but they have also had their hands in the commercial markets. In fact, they have been one of the go-to over-the-road semi-choices for over a century.
That means the company knows how to make a durable vehicle for the pickup truck market. One that can last through the most challenging tasks, making it the perfect pickup to mold into the one and only grandaddy of them all. Let's look at this awesome truck a little bit closer to get a feel for it, and perhaps even get some ideas of your own for your next build.
Updated on August 12, 2023: The market for big trucks is not all that great for carmakers, but it is huge when it comes to aftermarket builders. The bigger the truck, the better it is in the eyes of the owner. Therefore, we have decided to update and refresh this list with the most recent and relevant information so you can continue to get inspiration from like-minded truck enthusiasts who love nothing more than an enormous, virtually unstoppable pickup truck.
A Quick International History Refresher
It may not be common knowledge, but International has had a long history of making pickups. In 1908, when International was still known as International Harvester due to catering mostly to farmers by building heavy-duty tractors, it created the historical Autowagon. The International Autowagon was basically one of the first usable trucks on the market, and as such, it was credited as making the pickup truck popular in America in the early 1900s, continuing into today.
Another aspect of the current pickup that International of Old needs to be given thanks for is the four-door styling because the first crew cab set-up was on an International pickup. As things continued, it was good for the company, and in the 1970s, the company began making heavy-duty commercial trucks that made them well-known across the country. Unfortunately, in the '80s, things took a turn for the worse. International suffered significant financial losses, making it necessary for most of the business to be sold off.
The only section of the company that survived the financial hardships was the heavy-duty commercial truck side of the business, but they had to sell the International Harvester name and logo. In 1986 Navistar, an American holding company, acquired the name and logo and continues to operate the International company to this day.
But How Did We Get Here?
At this point, you might wonder how International created a massive pickup in the mid-2000s. Pickup sales have grown from two million units in 1980 to their peak of twelve million units sold in 2019. In addition, the average pickup grew bigger and heavier, becoming less of a tool and more of a comfortable daily driver for many Americans. This meant more features, luxurious interiors, and greater driving comfort, thus a higher price tag.
People were willing to pay more for a pickup as they turned from a commodity into a luxury item, and as with plenty of things in America, bigger is always better. At a time when Ford was making F-350s or Chevy making Silverado 3500 HDs, International thought of creating a pickup right out of a heavy-duty truck, and thus the International XT model range was born. The XT range consisted of the CXT and a slightly lower but longer model called the RXT.
Say Hello To The CXT
If there's one brand you can count on in turning a commercial heavy-duty truck into a pickup for consumer use, that'd be International--a brand known for making large commercial trucks. Thankfully, they do not just make an exceptional big rig. International can also create an amazing oversized pickup designed for the streets. One of those trucks, the biggest pickup ever mass-produced, is called the International CXT, which is an abbreviation for "Commercial Extreme Truck."
The CXT is just part of the brand's range of XT trucks, including the RXT and MXT. Serving as the basis for the CXT is International's 7300 truck chassis, a heavy-duty vehicle meant to have a gross vehicle weight of 25,999 pounds as it hauls cargo from one state to another. In its transformation into a massive pickup, you'd probably imagine it'll be heavy enough to have its own gravitational pull, and indeed it is (but probably not the gravitational pull part).
Tipping the scales at 14,500 pounds, it's the absolute heaviest pickup ever produced from the factory. For reference, the Ford F-150 weighs around 4,069 to 5,697 pounds, depending on the trim and configuration. And if you thought the F-150's maximum towing capacity of 14,000 pounds is already capable, the International CXT can pull 6,000 pounds more. The CXT is a massive pickup with even more massive capabilities.
Making Excess Even More Excessive
The 2008 recession spelled doom for many automakers, and that included International. Along with the ever-growing environmental concerns that owning such a large vehicle posed, the International CXT and RXT eventually went the way of the dodo. As the economy recovered, the motivation to create an even bigger pickup was brewing.
With International no longer producing the XT model range, it collaborated with a custom truck builder called Extreme SuperTruck based in Georgia. For its latest and final truck project, International went all out and used the HV507 truck as a basis for its monster of a pickup, and indeed what a monster it is that our friends from Donut Media were able to drive. That's because the HV507 is part of an International model series called their "Severe Duty Truck." It's so big and tough that its payload capacity matches the 20,000-pound towing capacity of the CXT.
That also meant giving it the heart to match its size. It packs a massive Cummins 8.9-liter turbo diesel V-8 that produces 370 horsepower and a massive 1,250 pound-feet of torque that's already available at just 1,400 rpm--way bigger than the more powerful DT466 7.6-liter inline-six turbo diesel that produced 220 horsepower and 540 pound-feet of twist.
This truck doesn't just come with a lot of capability. It is also luxurious. The interior is trimmed in plush leather, plus you even get an infotainment system and rear seats that can convert into a bed. It is the definition of excess, and with a price tag of $185,000, it does not come cheap. However, since this isn't a mass-produced vehicle and is instead more of a custom job, it's not the biggest mass-produced pickup ever made. It is, however, the absolute biggest pickup you can buy.
What's Next For International?
While pickups and SUVs are all the rage these days, don't expect these trucks to make a comeback. On the upside, did you know that International helped Chevrolet develop the heavy-duty models of the Silverado? In turn, International has rebranded models of the Silverado HD called the International CV. This is perhaps the closest you could get today to owning a pickup from the brand that made excessively large pickups a thing.
The CV truck series aims to market to business owners, ranchers, and homeowners that need a dependable, heavy-duty work truck designed to put in a long day's work. It is a truck that goes back in time to the days when a truck was a truck designed to work. Even though it offers comfort on the inside, along with some of the conveniences of modern technology, it was not intended for anything more than to please the working class.