WORDS Drew Perlmutter
IMAGES Scout Studios
very Scout® truck tells a story. This one starts with the way sunlight moves across a body panel; the feel of a textile beneath your hand; and the details that make an interior feel familiar before even entering.
Bringing all these elements together is the work of the Scout Color, Materials, and Finish team, known within the design world as CMF. Chris Benjamin, Chief Design Officer, defines the starting point for it all: honoring the legacy of the Scout vehicles that came before, while forging a path toward the future.
CMF is where much of a vehicle’s design becomes tangible. It is what customers see, feel, and interact with. The process begins with thousands of possible colors, fabrics, leathers, woods, textures, and finishes. From that broad palette, the team narrows the choices until the result feels unmistakably like the Scout brand.
Aileen Barraza is the Design Director of the Color, Materials, Finish team. “CMF is so special because it is the connection point to our customers,” she explains. “It is what they can see, what they can feel, what they can touch.”
The story continues by opening up our history books. Vintage Scout vehicles were known for expressive colors and liveries, distinctive textiles, plaid interiors, and finishes that gave each vehicle its own personality. Dealer catalogs offered hundreds of options, often leading to a variety of unique trucks. Over the years, old Scout rigs have grown even more interesting with age, gaining faded paint and patina earned through years of use. Real-world use has proven to be a point of inspiration.
“We’re reviving something that has meant so much to so many people. The challenge is, how do we balance where we’ve been with what we want to become?”
Chris Benjamin continues, “We love to look at old Scouts and all of the different colors and finishes, all of the amazing uniqueness that those vehicles had. We’ve been building on that and looking at how we take that legacy and move it into the future.”
The goal is to understand what made those old Scout vehicles special, while carrying that spirit forward. “We’re reviving something that has meant so much to so many people,” Aileen reflects. “The challenge is, how do we balance where we’ve been with what we want to become?”
And that balance is CMF’s guiding ethos. Here, Senior Designer Katherine Rays steps in to blend authenticity with emotion.
“In the Light Room, colors are reviewed under different conditions to understand how they will appear throughout the day and out in the world.” It’s a mix between art, some science, and a whole lot of feelings. The team considers the emotion each color creates, the history it references, and the story it helps tell.
Katherine lists off inspirations “…Tahitian Red pays homage to the last Scout II that rolled off the line in 1980. Stargazer, used on the Scout Terra truck reveal vehicle, was inspired by a heritage color and reimagined with modern depth and character. Other colors begin with landscapes and familiar places. Silo draws from the colors of grain and the weathered silver patina of a working silo, connecting back to the Scout brand’s agricultural roots. Pacific Mist was inspired by the Pacific Ocean at the moment sunlight breaks through the clouds and catches the water.”
These references give each color a foundation beyond trend. They connect the vehicle to a memory, a place, or a feeling that can be understood. And that’s just the outside of the vehicle. The same sense of authenticity carries through to the interior.
Aileen and her team are responsible for the harmony of the exterior and interior, where color, texture, and material meet as one. Senior Designer Peyton Sullivan leads the charge on exploring what’s possible. “Natural materials should look and feel natural, leather may show its markings, wood may reveal its grain. And textiles may carry the texture of real fibers.”
Rather than hiding those qualities, the team treats them as part of the material’s character. But authenticity is only part of the equation. “First and foremost, it has to be durable. It has to withstand the test of time. We want people to use their Scout.” Aileen doesn’t see compromise as an option; these vehicles are meant to be used.
Every material must balance beauty, comfort, and ruggedness. The interior should feel inviting, but never precious. It should be able to carry the marks of road trips, muddy boots, camping gear, dogs, the kids, and all the life that happens along the way.
For the Pacific Mist vehicle, the team looked toward familiar American workwear, including leather boots and denim jackets. Denim was originally made for labor and worn by farmers and industrial workers long before it became part of everyday life.
“For us, it’s something that we’re looking to evolve and modernize,” Katherine said. That thinking led to fabrics developed through unique weave structures, contrasts, and patterns. On the Terra™ truck, the seat perforations form a plaid pattern when viewed from a distance. Plaid has long been associated with Scout truck interiors, making the detail a subtle nod to the past and the brand’s agricultural heritage.
At Scout Motors, we honor our past, while innovating for the road ahead. And that principle is carried throughout every department. The CMF team is always exploring new materials that can be durable, environmentally responsible, and true to the Scout character.
But every exploration must answer the same questions: Does it belong in a Scout truck? Can it withstand real use? Will it become better and more familiar with time? And that’s where the fun is for Aileen and her team.
From thousands of possibilities, Aileen, Katherine, and Peyton take on the challenge of creating an environment designed to feel rugged, welcoming, and immediately recognizable. Inherently a Scout vehicle. And they succeed.
“I hope that people see that we put all of our heart and soul into this,” Peyton Sullivan said.
Soon, these colors and materials will move beyond the studio and into the world. They will appear under changing skies, along city streets, across farms, near coastlines, and at campsites. And in time, they will begin collecting stories of their own.
Disclaimer: Scout Motors celebrates the legacy of Scout vehicles and the passionate community that keeps them alive. However, Scout Motors does not sell, restore, or provide parts or services for vintage Scout vehicles. Any modifications or restorations featured are the work of individual owners or third-party specialists.
