There was no shortage of vintage iron in the American Truck Historical Society's setup on the show floor at the 2025 Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky. In all likelihood, that will be the case again at this year's MATS, with registration open for the big event slated for March 26-28 in Louisville, Kentucky.
Overdrive's 2024 Trucker of the Year Alan Kitzhaber took a walk through the ATHS section at the show to look for the rigs that stood out to him, and none caught his attention more than the 90-year-old unit featured in the video above.
The 1935 International C30 is owned by Falmouth, Kentucky-based Jack and Dian Caldwell.
Jack is the grandson of the truck's original owner, who bought it new in 1935 from General Motors in Covington, Kentucky, for $100 and "other considerations," according to the bill of sale.Video and photos by Lawson Rudisill
The truck has stayed in the family its entire life. The elder Caldwell operated the unit up until 1952, using it as a farm truck hauling cattle, hay, tobacco and more. He parked it in a barn in '52, where it sat for 31 years before Jack and family pulled it out for restoration.
Caldwell still has the last license plate, dated 1951, that was on the truck before it was parked for 30-plus years.
The truck as it sits today is remains 100% original, Caldwell said, and runs and drives like new.
This particular model International, he added, was built from 1934 to 1936. The '35 model, he added, was the last year the interior of the doors were made from wood. From 1936 on, the doors were metal.
The truck features a six-cylinder, gasoline-powered International 330 engine.
The interior is also still original, including wood floors.
Catch more detail and views of the classic truck in the video up top, and find more about ATHS and MATS via the links.
[Related: White Pine Paving's 'Change Order' 2000 W900L, revisited]
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Alan Kitzhaber: The truck that I think that caught my eye the most is this International over here, 1935.
Jack Caldwell: Everything you see is 100% original.
Alan Kitzhaber: And it runs?
Jack Caldwell: Yes. Runs and drives.
Alan Kitzhaber: Hello, fellow truck drivers, this is Alan Kitzhaber. I am the 2024 Overdrive Magazine Trucker of the Year, and we are at the 2025 MATS truck show. And we're in the American Society of Truck History (American Truck Historical Society) taking a look at some of the old time trucks that used to be on the road and some of them probably still are.
Alan Kitzhaber: The truck that I think that caught my eye the most is this International over here. Well, it's a classic. Can you imagine when this was used for moving loads across from town to town or wherever you were going? I guess it's better than a horse and buggy.
Alan Kitzhaber: Is this yours? It is.
Jack Caldwell: 1935 International C30. They call it a one-and-a-half ton.
Alan Kitzhaber: One-and-a-half ton? Okay. So it wasn't necessarily over-the-road truck type.
Jack Caldwell: No, sir. This was basically a farm truck. Special thing about this one here is my grandfather bought this truck brand new in 1935.
Alan Kitzhaber: So it's been in the family a long time. 90 years. It's 90 years.
Jack Caldwell: And everything you see is 100% original.
Alan Kitzhaber: And it runs?
Jack Caldwell: Yes. Runs and drives. Took us about 31 years to rebuild it. We got pictures of before and after if you like to look.
Alan Kitzhaber: OK. Did you want to look at those?
Jack Caldwell: Grandpa, he hauled cattle, hay, tobacco, whatever else you could get on. You know, he parked it in 1952, in the barn. This is the last license plate that he put on it. We also had the original bill of sale here. He bought it for General Motors from Covington, Kentucky, in 1935. If you look at it, you'll see what he give for it. $100 and other considerations.
Alan Kitzhaber: Wonder what the other considerations were.
Jack Caldwell: I don't know what other considerations.
Alan Kitzhaber: Maybe a dozen eggs?
Jack Caldwell: Could have been. Some chickens or hard to tell what. This is when we pulled it out of the barn, 1983. And of course, we done extensive repair on it over the years. I'm very proud of it.
Alan Kitzhaber: I certainly would be. It looks beautiful.
Jack Caldwell: Everything you see is pretty well original. It also still has the original floorboard in it.
Alan Kitzhaber: So that well taken care of in order for that to be the case?
Jack Caldwell: Yes. Yeah. It sat in the barn for a long time. That pretty well saved it.
Alan Kitzhaber: Jack was just telling me these doors are made of wood. And this is the original wood.
Jack Caldwell: They made this in particular model from '34 to '36. 1935 was last year model that they made them out of wood, in 1936 they went to metal.
Alan Kitzhaber: How many cylinders is the engine?
Jack Caldwell: It has a six cylinder in-line, it's a 331 International motor.
Alan Kitzhaber: It's a gasoline powered?
Jack Caldwell: Gas powered. And these are the original rims.
Alan Kitzhaber: Original rims.
Jack Caldwell: Everything's original except for the tires.
Alan Kitzhaber: Well, hey, I appreciate you taking the time.
Jack Caldwell: I appreciate you taking look at it. We're very proud to have it here.
Alan Kitzhaber: Yeah, and, Dian, it's nice to meet you, too. And he said that you gotten really involved with all this down to the nitty gritty stuff. Okay, that's a great when a husband and wife can work together on something and enjoy it.
Well, let's look at the rest of the trucks here. Right behind you is a 1972 Freightliner. That's an old one. There's a '79 Freightliner. There's a '79 Kenworth, '81 Peterbilt, '86 Peterbilt. And then we've got the "Amazing Grace" 1972 Peterbilt. It catches your eye. It's not what I would do necessarily, because I'm not really big into the chrome, the lights and the fancy paint jobs and such, but you know, some guys, this is their hobby. And for if it's your hobby then, you know, it's tax deductible. So you can't hardly argue with that. But that's not my hobby.
