Scout Traveler Spirit of '26 is a retro limited edition celebrating America's 250th anniversary

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Scout has quietly introduced the Traveler Spirit of ’26.

Pays homage to the Spirit of ’76 package from 50 years ago.

Production is set to begin in 2027 and work at plant continues.

It feels like Scout’s return was announced a semiquincentennial ago, so it’s fitting that the brand is celebrating America’s 250 th anniversary with a new Traveler Spirit of ’26.

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Introduced with little fanfare, the model celebrates the red, white, and blue while also delving into the history books. In 1976, the Winter Olympics were being held in Innsbruck, Austria and the U.S. Ski Team needed a rugged fleet of vehicles to transport people and their gear.

More: Scout’s Latest Concept Rethinks What Actually Belongs On The Back Of An SUV

International Harvester stepped forward and provided ten Scout Travelers and seven Scout II Traveltops. Since they were for the U.S. Ski Team and 1976 was America’s bicentennial, they were outfitted with a white exterior as well as blue and red stripes.

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The company also added U.S. Ski Team decals, ski racks, and winches on a handful of them. Other highlights included a V8 engine, an automatic transmission, and four wheel drive.

The vehicles were a hit and Scout decided to offer a retail version known as the Spirit of ’76. While these eschewed the ski-related details, they retained the iconic livery. The package also included a Wedgwood Blue interior, a blue roll bar, and Rallye wheels wrapped in larger tires. Some versions even offered a denim blue soft top.

Now, 50 years later, Scout is trying to recreate that magic with the Traveler Spirit of ’26. While it’s flown under the radar for the past few days, we randomly discovered the model on a slow news day.

That doesn’t bode well for Scout as the excitement has seemingly evaporated, but the model features a red, white, and blue livery with a graphic layout inspired by old Rallye packages. While it doesn’t quite have the same charm as the original, the new version does incorporate a Harvester graphic.

Since Scout doesn’t have any vehicles to sell, they decided to release a bunch of retro-inspired merch alongside the colorful concept. This includes $36 t-shirts, coolers, and a $99 jacket.

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Speaking of production, Scout’s latest plant update is from June and the facility seems to be coming together nicely. Industrial air conditioners were recently installed at the body shop and were going in on the assembly building. Access roads were also in the process of being built and work was continuing on supplier buildings.

The company has been angered by continuous questions about when production will begin and if there have been delays, but their website states “initial production [is] targeted for 2027, [but is] subject to change.

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