Scout Motors grows to 1,600 employees as Volkswagen-backed revival advances

Scout is described as an iconic American brand that helped create the SUV segment in the 1960s. Its decline is attributed to the conditions of the 1970s, including high inflation, outsourcing, manufacturing decline and labor difficulties.

Volkswagen Group pursued greater success in the United States through trucks and rugged SUVs and gained access to Scout through its purchase of Navistar, which held the brand’s rights. The revival’s stated premise combines Scout’s heritage with Volkswagen’s manufacturing capabilities and a clean-sheet vehicle program.

Scout Motors says it began four years ago with one employee and a few PowerPoint slides. It has since grown to 1,600 employees and is industrializing a factory in Blythewood, South Carolina.